The Future-Seer and Future Princess
by Needs a better username
Summary: When 2 young warriors meet at an inter-dimensional fighting tournament, they immediately start to hit it off. However, since they both just ended romantic relationships with people from their own worlds, it's probably not a good time to begin perusing love again. But as they've both proven countless times, fate is made to be changed. Cover image belongs to GingerAletheUnbeer on DA.
1. Prologue: Breakups

**Hello to all of you beautiful people on the internet! I'm here to bring you guys a story I've been wanting to write for a long time now. A story involving one of my favorite ships of all time: ShulkxLucina.**

 **I'll be the first to admit, I've never touched either** ** _Xenoblade Chronicles_** **or** ** _Fire Emblem: Awakening._** **Mostly because I don't own a 3DS and I was not aware of** ** _Xenoblade's_** **existence until I started maining Shulk in Smash 4. By then, I had long gotten rid of my Wii and didn't feel like searching for a copy to play on my Wii U. Most of my information about Shulk and Lucina comes from a combination of Smash, and watching various cutscenes/let's plays/support conversations from both games on YouTube, as well as looking up some other miscellaneous information on them online. With that said, I feel like I know a lot more about these two than the average Smash player. Still, I apologize to** ** _Fire Emblem/Xenoblade_** **fans in advance if I make either Shulk or Lucina say or do anything that's out of character for them.**

 **Anyway, with that said, let's get this story started! Enjoy!**

 ** _Super Smash Bros._** **© Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai.**

* * *

 ***** _Colony 9 of Bionis_ *****

* * *

"Good morning."

A young man named Shulk said to no one in particular as he got out of bed and prepared for the day. He got up and got dressed before heading to his lab to work on some weapons. He grabbed his own weapon, a mystical sword called the Monado, and made his way to the door. But before he stepped outside, he took a glance at his calendar.

"Huh. Has it been that long already?" Shulk said to himself.

According to Shulk's calendar, it was one year to the day he and his friends had defeated an evil god called Zanza. A god bent on destroying the world, known as the Bionis, and recreating it just as he had several times before. After a long and hardship filled journey, Shulk and his companions managed to kill Zanza, and restored the world to the way it was before Zanza rose to power.

Shulk smiled at the memory before setting out to his lab. He walked around his home village, an area known as Colony 9, before he spotted the entrance to his lab. Along the way, he came across his childhood best friend.

"Hey, Reyn, how's it going, man?" Shulk said to his friend.

"Oh, hey, Shulk. Pretty good. Just gettin' in some rest before I gotta go deal with old Square-tache again." Reyn replied, referring to the leader of Colony 9's defense force.

"Honestly, I'd have thought that since the war with the Mechon and the Telethia ended, he'd have lightened up a bit since there's no more imminent threats to Colony 9. Or to any part of the world for that matter." Shulk stated.

"No chance in Hell! That man will never settle down! He'll keep going and going until his blood pressure erupts like a volcano." Reyn stated.

"Boy, wouldn't that be a sight to see?" Shulk asked.

The two friends shared a laugh at their joke before Reyn continued speaking.

"Alright, in all seriousness, where are you headed off to, man?"

"Well, I'm going to the lab. I need to get some more weapons for the Defense Force worked on, and maybe study the Monado a little more. I want to see if maybe there are some new Arts in there, somewhere. I've discovered more than one new Art in the past." Shulk replied.

"Yeah, those Jump and Smash Arts you discovered a few months back would have been really helpful against Zanza." Reyn pointed out.

"Yeah, no kidding. Anyway, I have to get started on my work. And you best get back before the Colonel makes you do a billion pushups." Shulk stated.

"Yikes. That's a scary thought. Alright, I'm off. Bye, Shulk." Reyn stated before leaving to face his overly angry Colonel.

"Bye."

Shulk then proceeded to enter his lab and began to work on some new weapons. He repaired several blasters and shields throughout the hours of the day. Eventually he got around to inspecting his Monado. As usual, there was nothing wrong with it, but he didn't uncover any new Arts from it either.

As the sun began setting over the horizon, Shulk began packing up his things to head home. But just before he left, his thoughts began to drift elsewhere. More specifically, they drifted toward someone else, his girlfriend, Fiora.

She and Shulk began dating immediately after Zanza's defeat a year ago, after having a mutual crush on each other since childhood. However, as time went on, Shulk was beginning to have second thoughts. They hadn't really been connecting the way he thought they would once they started dating. He had always seen her as a friend, almost a sister. But perhaps his infatuation with her stemmed from the fact that, as kids, she was the only pretty girl willing to talk to him. That's how their friendship formed.

However, Shulk was now thinking that it was just that, an infatuation. Maybe they didn't really have as much in common as he thought. Maybe they were just meant to be friends. He wondered if Fiora was having similar thoughts as well. They hadn't really been seeing much of each other in recent weeks.

With these troubled thoughts in mind, Shulk went to the one place he felt he could clear his head, a small area just outside Colony 9 known as Outlook Park.

He sat down on one of the park benches and began contemplating his relationship with Fiora. He sat alone, lost in thought, until he heard a voice come from next to him.

"Shulk?"

"Oh, hey, Fiora. How are you?" Shulk asked.

"I'm ok. I just came out here to clear my head." She stated.

"I see. I'm here for the same reason." Shulk said.

Fiora sat down next to Shulk as the pair sat in silence for some time. Eventually, Shulk broke the silence. He sighed, as he knew what he was about to say would not be easy.

"Fiora, we need to talk. I need to tell you something."

"Really? Because there's something important I need to tell you, too." Fiora replied.

"This isn't going to be easy, but…"

"Well…"

"The thing is…"

"It's just…"

"It's over." They said simultaneously.

The two of them looked at the other in surprise before Fiora spoke once again.

"So, you were thinking it too, huh?" She asked.

"That we've started growing apart a bit?"

"Yeah."

"I mean, I still like you. You'll always be one of my closest friends, but I'm not sure it actually works as boyfriend/girlfriend." Shulk stated.

"You're right. I'll always see you as a friend, but, I think maybe we rushed into things with our relationship. I think it was perfect the way it was before the whole 'Zanza' thing. I thought I liked you like that at one point, but now I see it was just a little schoolgirl crush that never really went away." Fiora said.

"I feel the same way, Fiora. So, with that said, I do think it's best we went our separate ways. Maybe started seeing other people. We'll still be friends though, right?"

"Oh yes, of course. Well, anyway, I best be headed home. Dunban will be furious if I'm out too late."

"Ha! Your overprotective brother. Well, I'll see you around, friend."

"Goodbye, friend." Fiora said before leaving.

Shulk just sighed as he started heading home himself. While he was glad that he and Fiora ended their relationship on good terms, he was still kind of saddened by the whole thing. Ending a relationship is never easy, no matter how things turn out afterward. He finally made it to his house and got ready for bed. Just before he fell asleep, he could only say one thing to himself:

"Hopefully tomorrow will be better."

* * *

* _the kingdom of Ylisse_ *

A young woman with dark blue hair woke from her slumber at the start of another day. She got up, put her usual attire on, and emerged from her room to face the day ahead. After breakfast, the woman, named Lucina, went in search of her orange haired boyfriend, Inigo.

As she walked the hallways searching for Inigo, she couldn't help but think about the events that led her to where she currently was.

It had been one year to the day that an army known as the Shepherds, led by Lucina's father, the Exalt of the kingdom of Ylisse, Chrom, had defeated a malevolent Dragon God known as Grima from laying waste to the world. The road to defeating Grima had been a long and perilous one. It involved Lucina and all of her closest friends traveling back in time from a future that had already been destroyed by Grima and all their parents had been killed. They had hoped that by going back in time, they could save the younger versions of their parents. Ultimately, they had succeeded, but at the cost of Chrom's closest friend and the tactician of the Shepherds, Robin. While Chrom and his closest companions went out in search of Robin, as they believed him to still be alive, Lucina went with Inigo to travel the world. Their home of the moment was always brimming with joy and laughter, but eventually, they both began to miss their home kingdom of Ylisse. So they returned home and were welcomed with open arms by Chrom, who had returned with Robin a few months prior.

Lucina scoured the hallways of the castle she lived in hoping to find her boyfriend. Along the way, she came across Robin, who was currently staying in Ylisse, visiting Chrom for a few days before returning to his new home in the small country of Chon'sin, along with his wife, the princess of Chon'sin.

"Pardon me, Robin." Lucina said to the tactician.

"Oh, hello, Lucina. How may I help you?" Robin replied.

"I was wondering if you had seen Inigo today." The princess asked.

"Inigo? Oh, yes. I saw him heading down toward the training yards earlier today." He stated.

"You have my thanks, Robin. Might I ask where you are headed this day?" Lucina inquired.

"Well, I'm headed to a meeting with Chrom to discuss certain things. Apparently, some Risen have been bothering a village near the border with Plegia. Honestly, I thought those things would have disappeared entirely once Grima was killed."

"I agree. I must wonder how many more of those monsters are out there. Will their rampage never cease?" Lucina wondered.

"Worry not, Lucina. I'm quite certain that their days are numbered." The tactician managed to reassure.

"Yes. I believe you're right, Robin. Well I must be off to the training yards."

"Alright, I should be going as well. I don't want to be late for my meeting. Be well, Lucina." Robin said before departing.

With that, Lucina began making her way outside, toward the castle's training yards. She saw many of Ylisse's future defenders training hard for the day that they might have to fight to defend their kingdom. However, there was no sign of Inigo anywhere.

"Where could he be?" Lucina whispered to herself.

However, just as she was about to give up and search for her boyfriend elsewhere, she heard a voice coming from one of the side rooms. Curiosity got the better of her as she went to see who was talking. She took a peek into the room and saw Kjelle, one of her friends from the future, training hard on a practice dummy.

And next to her was Inigo.

" _What is he doing with Kjelle?_ " Lucina wondered.

She had made it clear to him that she wanted to spend the day with him today. She wanted to go out and celebrate the one-year anniversary of Grima's defeat. But Inigo seemed to be thinking otherwise

"It's been too long since we've seen each other, Kjelle. Why don't you and I have a cup of tea together and catch up?" Inigo asked in a flirty voice.

"No. Leave me alone. I'm busy. Besides, weren't you supposed to spend the day with Lucina?" Kjelle asked.

"Oh, she won't mind. Now come on, when's the last time I got to feel those strong arms of yours?" The flirty boy replied.

"INIGO!" Lucina screamed as she barged into the room.

"Oh! Um, Lucina! What a surprise. I was just having a friendly chat with Kjelle." Inigo said defensively.

"That sounded like much more than a friendly chat!" The blue haired girl shouted.

"I'm out." Kjelle said before walking out of the room, not wanting to get involved with Lucina and Inigo's personal problems.

"Now, now. L-let's not do anything we'll regret, Lucina." Inigo pleaded.

"I warned you what would happen if you started flirting with another woman!" Lucina screamed while putting her hand on the hilt of her sword.

"I-I thought we agreed we'd work on that sense of humor of yours." Inigo stated.

"Does it look like I'm jesting?!" She yelled.

"Come on! You're acting like I can't talk with my own friends. Are you really so possessive that I cannot speak with anyone else ever again?" Inigo said, starting to get angry.

"I never said that! But I specifically stated I didn't want to see you flirting with another woman as long as you were with me! And what's the first thing you do once we return to Ylisse? You flirt with Kjelle!"

"This is just who I am! Get off my back!"

"No! I've seen you be able to interact with a woman without attempting to chat her up. I expected you to drop the whole act once you found someone willing to tolerate you! But I suppose I'm asking too much."

"Excuse me?!"

"I should have known you would never stop flirting, Inigo. Will you never be happy unless every single female throws herself at your feet!? Maybe if you could have learned how to tone it down, we could have kept each other happy!"

"WELL IF YOU WEREN'T SO ANNOYING, UPTIGHT, OR FLAT CHESTED, I WOULDN'T FLIRT WITH SOMEONE ELSE!" Inigo screamed.

Lucina gasped at Inigo's words and Inigo went wide-eyed at what he just said to her.

"Oh, gods. W-what did I just…? Lucina, I'm so, so sorry for what I said! I-I just…" Inigo stammered.

"G-get out." Lucina muttered.

"No, wait, I'm…" The boy started.

"I said get out!" Lucina screamed as tears began streaming down her face

"Wait, please! I didn't mean it! I was…"

"LEAVE!" She screamed, before drawing her sword and tried swiping him with it.

Inigo dodged the sword and began running out of the castle. Once he was out of eyesight, Lucina ran back to her own room, threw herself onto her bed, and began crying. Not since the death of her parents in her destroyed future had she felt so terrible. She couldn't help but wonder if Inigo was right. Did others find her to be annoying or uptight? Was there something wrong with her body? With these distressing thoughts in mind, she continued sobbing for the rest of the night, only coming out of her room for dinner before returning to her room for the rest of the night.

That night, she fell into a restless, fitful sleep as a few lingering tears continued falling from her eyes. Just before she fell asleep, she could only say one thing to herself:

"Hopefully tomorrow will be better."

* * *

 **And with that, I conclude the prologue of this story.**

 **I know this was short, and not very 'Smash Bros.' oriented despite being labeled a** ** _Smash Bros._** **story, but don't worry. I plan on introducing the whole 'Smash' thing in the next chapter. That's going to be the real start of this story. Also, it's just my general style of writing that my chapters start out short and gradually get longer as the story progresses. Besides, this was just a prologue, and prologues aren't usually meant to be very long, anyway.**

 **To any and all** ** _Awakening_** **fans that might be reading this, I know that it's a little out of character for Inigo to say such hurtful things, especially to a girl, but hear me out. It's generally human nature that we sometimes say things we don't mean when we're angry. I myself can personally say that I've said thing I regret saying now just because I was mad at the time. My intent was to give Inigo and Lucina a hard break up since I gave Shulk and Fiora a soft one. That's partially why I chose Inigo as the boyfriend instead of any of Lucina's other supports. It seemed like he'd be the easiest to write a breakup scene for, given the ending of his and Lucina's final support conversation, and the threat she gives him. I honestly don't think it's possible for him to stop flirting. That was ultimately his downfall here. Another reason I chose him is because I looked at all of Lucina's possible endings, and the ending she has with Inigo is one of the only ones that doesn't specifically state she got married.**

 **Anyways, like I said, next chapter is when I'll introduce the 'Smash Bros.' part of this story, and introduce Shulk and Lucina to each other. Until then, I ask that you be kind with any form of feedback you leave. I don't want any hate comments left to me. Rest assured, this story will get better with time, so don't judge this story based solely on the prologue, please.**

 **Until the next chapter, adieu, everyone.**


	2. Chapter 1: Welcome to Smash Brothers!

**Greetings and welcome to the** ** _true_** **start of this story, ladies and gentlemen.**

 **It's time to introduce the 'Smash Bros.' element to this story. This story wasn't put in this category for no good reason, you know.**

 **I never tend to say much here, so let's just jump right in, shall we?**

 ** _Super Smash Bros._** **© Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai**

* * *

* _one day after the last chapter_ *

* _Colony 9 of Bionis_ *

* * *

Shulk woke up from a good night's rest and prepared to face yet another average day in Colony 9. As he was getting ready for the day ahead of him, he couldn't help but think back to the events of the day before.

He was still surprised that he and Fiora had ended their relationship. Even though they had both wanted to end it, it was still kind of shocking. Well, what was done was done. Shulk could not afford to keep lingering on it. He had other things to focus on.

He headed down to his lab in order to get some work done. A soldier in the Defense Force had paid him a considerable sum to repair and upgrade his weapon after it had accidentally been destroyed in a training accident. Shulk happily went to work with his request. After several hours of hard work, he finally finished the weapon. He then went in search of the soldier that had asked him to fix his weapon. Shulk eventually found him, and presented him with his new weapon. The soldier was very pleased with his new and improved weapon.

With that, Shulk began to return home for the evening. But as he did, he looked up at all the countless stars.

Before the defeat of Zanza, the entire universe was nothing more than an endless sea with two large landmasses that everyone lived on. When Shulk and his friends defeated Zanza, he had reformed the universe so that there were multiple worlds for life to thrive on. Shulk hoped that one day, he could meet the people of these other worlds.

Unfortunately, he had yet to make any progress on that front. Shulk really had hoped that by now, he would have made at least some progress with meeting life outside his own planet. But sadly, it seemed like it would be a long time before he would ever get to talk with new life.

With that, he continued his walk home. Once he finally made it, he was just about ready to crash on his bed for the night. He went through the process of getting ready for bed before finally reaching his bedroom.

But once he got there, he saw something very peculiar.

There was a sealed envelope on his bed. On the back of the envelope was a seal with a strange symbol on it. It looked like a circle with two lines crossing at the bottom left of said circle. Curiously, he opened the envelope and pulled out what was inside. It was a letter, and it was addressed to him.

 _Dear Mr. Shulk of Colony 9,_

 _Congratulations! You have been formally invited to participate in the 4_ _th_ _ever SUPER SMASH BROTHERS tournament. In SUPER SMASH BROTHERS, fighters from multiple different universes are brought together to compete against each other in a series of battles, competitions, and various other events. While here, you can hone your skills, win large amounts of money and other prizes, and form lasting friendships with other Smashers. There are also many more benefits to becoming one of us. Should you accept, please be at Gaur Plain at 12:00 noon the day after receiving this letter and_ _ **do not**_ _be late. An associate of mine will be there to see you safely to the Smash Mansion, the headquarters of the SUPER SMASH BROTHERS. Please also bring this letter with you as validation. We also advise you to bring as many necessary supplies with you as well, as this tournament will likely last a very long time. We hope to see you there._

 _With regards,_

 _Master Hand._

Shulk re-read the letter a total of five times just to make sure he was reading it correctly. After recovering from the shock, Shulk immediately pulled out his largest suitcase and began packing.

* * *

* _the next day, Gaur Plain_ *

* _11:58 AM_ *

Shulk stood patiently at Gaur Plain, waiting for the associate of this 'Master Hand' to show up. In one hand, he had the letter that he had received the previous day, and in the other, a suitcase filled with multiple sets of clothes and other supplies he needed for such a long trip, including enough spare ether, the building block of life on Bionis, to last more than a lifetime, just in case this new world didn't have any. Behind him, all of his friends stood, ready to see him off.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Shulk's mentor Dunban asked.

"Yeah, the letter said to be at Gaur Plain at noon. It's almost noon, isn't it? Just a couple more minutes." Shulk stated.

"And are you sure you want to do this, Shulk?" Reyn asked.

"Yes. I really do. After we defeated Zanza, do you remember what Alvis told all of us?"

Everyone nodded.

"Well, I remember telling Fiora that I wanted to meet the people of this new and endless world. Now I'm getting the chance to meet people from other _universes_ entirely. I can't pass this up." Shulk said.

"That is, assuming that letter is real." A tall woman named Sharla stated.

"What do you mean, Sharla?" Shulk asked curiously.

"I believe what she means is: What if this is merely some manner of elaborate prank that someone set up? Or worse, a trap set up by some nefarious individuals?" A girl with wings on her head named Melia asked.

"I don't really believe that. What reason would someone have for making this up or trying to lure us into a trap? Even if it is a trap, I have all of you here. If we can defeat a god, I'm sure we can take down any bad guys." Shulk said.

"Shulk right. Riki and friends can beat any bad guy! But Riki hope letter is real. Riki wants to see Smash Bros. place." A fuzzy Nopon named Riki chimed in.

"Thanks, Riki. I hope it's real too. Speaking of, it's finally noon. So where is…?" Shulk started.

Before Shulk could finish his sentence, a large portal opened up in front of the gang, surprising them all. They all put a hand on their weapons, ready to attack any malevolent force that dared cross them. However, only a single creature came out of the portal.

He was a funny looking thing, whatever he was. He was very short, had two black dots for eyes, a triangle for a nose, spiked blonde hair, and seemed to only have spheres in the place of hands and feet.

"Alright, who and _what_ the hell are you?" Reyn asked after a few seconds of silence.

"Well, sir, my name is Frank, and I am known as a Mii. I'm here on behalf of Master Hand and the Super Smash Brothers. Now, which one of you is Shulk?" The creature asked.

The young man in question stepped forward and spoke to the Mii.

"That would be me. I assume you're here to take me to this 'Smash Mansion' place?" Shulk asked.

"Indeed, I am. Do you have the letter you were sent with you now?" Frank asked the boy.

Shulk simply handed the letter to Frank, who took it and read over it to make sure it was official. After reading over it, the Mii looked up at Shulk.

"Alright, everything appears to be in order. Very well then, it's time to go. Come with me, Mr. Shulk." Frank said before walking through the portal again.

Shulk began making his way toward the portal, but before he stepped through, he turned back to all of his friends for one last goodbye.

"Well, I guess this is it. So long, everyone. I'll see you all later." Shulk called out to his friends.

"See ya later, man!"

"Farewell, Shulk."

"Good luck in the tournament."

"Make Riki proud, Shulk!"

"Have a pleasant time."

"Bye, Shulk!"

After that last round of goodbyes were finished, Shulk finally grabbed his things and stepped through the portal. When he emerged, he looked up and saw a massive mansion at the end of a long road. Shulk stood there in awe. He had never seen such a large building before on Bionis.

"Yeah, you're not the first person to have that look at seeing the Smash Mansion for the first time, and you certainly won't be the last. Anyway, just follow this road to the entrance of the mansion. Master Hand himself should be there, he'll make sure you get settled in comfortably and answer any questions you might have." Frank explained.

"Wait, you're not coming with me?" Shulk asked.

"No. I have business to attend to elsewhere. It takes _a lot_ of work to prepare for a tournament like this. I'll see you around." Frank stated before departing.

Shulk did as he was told and walked along the road toward the mansion. As he walked, he couldn't help but look at his new surroundings. The mansion itself was enormous and stunning from the outside. Shulk couldn't help but wonder what the inside looked like. He also noticed that the mansion's courtyard was incredibly beautiful, with an extensive and beautiful garden surrounding the mansion. There also appeared to be a town just a couple miles beyond the mansion. He couldn't wait to explore it all. Once he got closer to the entrance of the mansion, Shulk saw something very strange, two floating hands. One appeared to be looking down at a clipboard that it was somehow holding, and the other had its fingers twitching and was making a lot of sporadic movements. He got closer to them and cleared his throat to catch their attention. The hand with the clipboard then faced him and began floating toward him.

"Hello there. You must be Shulk. Is that right?" The hand asked.

"Um, yeah, that's me. Can I assume you're this 'Master Hand' who sent me that letter?" Shulk asked.

"I am. It's a pleasure to meet you." Master Hand said to Shulk.

"He has a red banana on his back!" The other hand sporadically said.

Shulk could only look at the twitching hand in confusion before turning back to Master Hand, hoping for answers.

"Yeah, that's my brother, Crazy Hand. Just ignore everything he says." Master Hand stated.

"This whole thing is nothing but a giant video game." Crazy Hand stated to no one in particular.

"Yeah, sure it is. Anyway, please come inside, there is much for you to see." Master Hand beckoned Shulk inside.

Shulk entered the mansion and was amazed by what he saw. The mansion seemed to be even bigger on the inside. It was very neatly decorated, and had multiple staircases and side doors that led to who-knows-where. There were also several different people and strange looking creatures walking around the place.

"Welcome to the Smash Mansion, Shulk." Master Hand said to the young man.

"It's grand! I think I'm going to have a fun time here." Shulk stated.

"I'm glad to hear it. Before I do anything else, I want to give you this." Master Hand said.

He then dropped an envelope into Shulk's hands.

"Inside is your room key, a map of the mansion, as well as a basic schedule. Tomorrow, you and the other newcomers will be given a rundown of how the tournament works, as well as the rules of the mansion, and some other basic information. If you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to find me. Now if you'll excuse me, I must prepare for the next newcomer. However, I'll have one of the other Smashers here give you a small tour of the mansion. Let's see here. Hmm… Ah. Lucario, could you come here, please?" Master Hand asked.

Shulk saw a strange looking blue creature with red eyes and a spike on his hands and chest approach him and Master Hand.

"Shulk, this is Lucario, a veteran Smasher here. Lucario, this is Shulk, one of our newcomers. I was hoping you would be kind enough to show him around the mansion." The giant hand said to the blue creature.

"Very well, Master Hand." The creature stated.

With that, Shulk and Lucario walked away, up a flight of stairs. Shulk then turned to look at Lucario.

"Er, pardon me… Lucario, right? What exactly are you, if I may ask?" Shulk inquired.

"I am known as a Pokémon. We are creatures of many shapes, sizes, and unique abilities. If you wish to learn more, I suggest you head down to the mansion's library at some point. There, you can find information on the home worlds of every Smasher here." Lucario answered.

"Wow! So this place has a library?" Shulk asked in amazement.

"Indeed. There are also many more unique places to explore in the Smash Mansion. Now, what would you like to see first?" The Pokémon asked.

Shulk thought for a moment before opening the envelope that Master Hand had given him. He then pulled out a card.

"First, I'd like you to show me to my room so I can drop off my things. Then I want to be taken to the library, please. The number on this card says Room 2504." Shulk said.

"Very well then. Follow me to Room 2504." Lucario stated before heading off.

As Lucario and Shulk walked away, Master Hand looked on before looking back at his paperwork.

"Who's coming in next? Is it Snake? I liked Snake!" Crazy Hand babbled.

"No, brother. We sent Snake home yesterday, remember? That tournament is over. Next up, coming in about half an hour is… Mega Man. And another half hour later, we have… oh, we have two people coming in an hour, Robin and Lucina. Please fetch two available Miis for me." Master Hand asked his brother.

"Okie dokie! I'll go and get 23 Myys." Crazy Hand stated before floating off.

Master Hand could only sigh.

* * *

* _the kingdom of Ylisse_ *

Lucina woke up with a sigh as she got out of bed. Yesterday's events still weighed heavily on her. She still couldn't help but wonder if Inigo was right. She didn't think herself annoying or uptight, but did she come across as such to others? Her only solace came from the fact that at dinner last night, her entire family, especially her father, had assured her that no one thought of her like that. Chrom had also personally taken it upon himself to punish Inigo for what he said to his future daughter.

He hunted the poor boy down, and when he found him, all hell broke loose. Inigo was barely able to dodge most of Chrom's sword swings as he was being chased around the castle. Inigo only lived because his own future mother, Olivia, had to beg and plead with the Exalt to spare the boy's life. She promised Chrom that she would have a _long_ talk with her son about what to say to women. Still, this wasn't enough to calm down Chrom. Inigo also had to agree to do a year's worth of hard labor around the castle. Starting with cleaning out the stables by himself. Without a shovel.

Nevertheless, Lucina was still heartbroken. She thought she and Inigo had something special going on. Apparently not. She tried to forget about Inigo by thinking about something else.

She then thought about where she should live once she moved out of her father's castle. When she came back in time, she only wanted to alter the timeline enough to save her parents and destroy Grima. She never intended to stay once her work was done. However, her father, as well as the rest of her family, had insisted that she stay with them even after Grima was gone. She wasn't sure what to do. With nothing else to do, she went back to her room for a nap.

But once she got there, she saw something very peculiar.

There was a sealed envelope on her bed. On the back of the envelope was a seal with a strange symbol on it. It looked like a circle with two lines crossing at the bottom left of said circle. Curiously, she opened the envelope and pulled out what was inside. It was a letter, and it was addressed to her.

 _Dear Miss Lucina of Ylisse,_

 _Congratulations! You have been formally invited to participate in the 4th ever SUPER SMASH BROTHERS tournament. In SUPER SMASH BROTHERS, fighters from multiple different universes are brought together to compete against each other in a series of battles, competitions, and various other events. While here, you can hone your skills, win large amounts of money and other prizes, and form lasting friendships with other Smashers. There are also many more benefits to becoming one of us. Should you accept, please be at Ylisse's official coliseum at 1:00 PM the day after receiving this letter and_ _ **do not**_ _be late. An associate of mine will be there to see you safely to the Smash Mansion, the headquarters of the SUPER SMASH BROTHERS. Please also bring this letter with you as validation. We also advise you to bring as many necessary supplies with you as well, as this tournament will likely last a very long time. We hope to see you there._

 _With regards,_

 _Master Hand._

Lucina stared at the letter in awe, all traces of tiredness gone. With no other idea on what to do, she ran out of her room to find her father. Along the way, she ran straight into Robin. Both of them fell to the ground.

"Robin, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you there." Lucina apologized.

"No, it's alright. It's my fault for not looking where I was going." Robin stated as he and Lucina rose to their feet.

"By any chance, have you seen my father recently?" The blue haired princess asked.

"No, I can't say I have. I was just on my way to find him, actually. I received a mysterious letter inviting me to some sort of tournament being held between universes." Robin explained.

"What?! You too?!" Lucina exclaimed.

She held up her letter for emphasis. Robin took it from her and read it over. Sure enough, it was exactly the same as the letter that had been addressed to him. He handed it back to her as the two stared at each other in shock.

"What should we do? Do we attend this tournament? Should we pass?" Lucina asked.

"I confess, I'm not certain what we should do." Robin admitted.

"What you should do about what?" A voice asked from behind them.

Robin and Lucina turned to face whoever was speaking and they both saw the person they were looking for.

"Father!"

"Chrom!"

* * *

* _the next day, Ylissean coliseum_ *

* _12:58 PM_ *

Robin and Lucina stood at the center of the arena, ready to head off to the 'Smash Bros.' tournament. After they had explained to Chrom about the letters, he encouraged the both of them to represent Ylisse, if not the entire world, in this tournament. The two of them both had large bags packed, ready for such a long journey. Behind them, Lucina's mother Sumia, and her sister Cynthia, stood, ready to see her off. Robin's wife Say'ri and daughter Morgan, were also there to see him leave. Many other Shepherds were there as well, ready to say goodbye to their close friends.

"So where is this 'Master Hand' anyway? I'm starting to get bored. And I am not pleasant to be around when I'm bored." A Dark Mage named Tharja said, finally breaking the silence.

"Do be patient, Tharja. It's not even 1:00 yet. We still have another minute" Another mage named Miriel said.

"That is, assuming those letters were authentic." A brown-haired knight pointed out.

"What makes you say that, Frederick?" Chrom asked.

"Milord, I am obliged to point out that as the royal family, it is reasonable to presume that you might have a fair number of enemies. Political rivals from other kingdoms, rebels, bandits, thieves. They would all pay a good coin to have the Exalted family in one place, easy to pick off. Especially the Exalt's daughter and head tactician. What if they sent us those letters as a distraction? What if…"

Before Frederick could prattle on, a large portal opened up in the middle of the coliseum. All the present Shepherds drew their weapons, ready to engage whatever enemy emerged from the portal. However only a single creature emerged from the portal.

It was a funny looking thing, whatever it was. It was obviously female, given it was wearing a dress. It had two black dots for eyes, and equally black hair tied into a ponytail. She had a pear-shaped nose, and what looked like mere spheres for hands and feet. Whatever she was, she didn't appear to be hostile, so all the Shepherds retracted their weapons.

"Can I assume that you are the associate of this 'Master Hand' our letters spoke of?" Robin asked the creature.

"I am. My name is Emily." The creature finally spoke.

"If I may ask, what exactly are you?" Lucina asked hesitantly.

"I'm known as a Mii. There are many others like me. Are you the one called Lucina?" Emily asked.

"I am. And this is Robin." Lucina said, gesturing to the tactician.

"And do you have your letters with you?" Emily asked the duo.

They presented their letters to Emily, who took them and read over them. She then handed the both of them back to Lucina and Robin.

"Alright, these check out. Let's get going." Emily stated.

With that, she walked back through the portal. Lucina and Robin began walking toward the portal, but then they both stopped. Lucina turned around and looked at her family. She then dropped her luggage and ran into her father's arms.

"Goodbye, father. I'll miss you so much!" Lucina said, trying to hold back tears.

"Goodbye, Lucina. I'll miss you too." Chrom replied.

Lucina then broke her embrace with her father and embraced her mother.

"Goodbye, mother. I'll miss you as well." Lucina said.

"I love you, sweetheart. I hope you have a lot of fun at this 'Smash Brothers' place." Sumia said to her daughter.

As soon as she broke away from her mother, Lucina was embraced in another tight hug, this one from her sister.

"Bye, Lucy! I hope you do good in this tournament. Kick lots of butt for me, okay?" Cynthia said.

"I promise you that I shall prevail, Cynthia. Goodbye." Lucina stated before breaking off from her sister.

Lucina then saw Robin ending his goodbyes with his family as well. The two of them looked at each other, and began walking toward the portal again. They grabbed their luggage, and walked through the portal after one last round of goodbyes from their families and other Shepherds.

Once they emerged, Robin and Lucina looked up and saw a large looking mansion. They were both amazed by the size of it. Aside from the castle in Ylisse's capital, they had never seen such a large building.

"It's always so amusing to see people's faces when they see the Smash Mansion for the first time. Anyway, if you just follow this road to the entrance of the mansion, you'll find Master Hand." Emily said.

"Are you not coming with us?" Robin asked the Mii.

"No, I have other things to do. It takes a lot of work to get a tournament like this up and running. The Hands need all the help they can get." Emily replied.

With that, the Mii left them alone. Lucina and Robin began walking toward the mansion, taking in the sights and letting the reality of it all sink in. This is where they would be living for a while, interacting with complete strangers, and fighting against them as well. Multiple questions ran through both their heads as they continued walking toward the mansion. They could only hope all their questions would be answered and that things would turn out alright for them.

Once they finally made it to the entrance of the mansion, they were both greeted with the strangest sight either of them have ever seen. Two disembodied floating hands were right in front of them. One of them turned to face Robin and Lucina.

"Ah, hello there. You two must be Robin and Lucina." One of the hands said to them.

"Er, yes, we are. Can I assume that you are Master Hand?" Robin asked, still in a state of disbelief.

"I am. Welcome to the Smash Mansion, you two." Master Hand greeted.

"It's a walking blueberry!" The other hand shouted, pointing at Lucina.

"Excuse me?!" Lucina shouted indignantly.

"Um, that's my brother, Crazy Hand. I apologize if he offended you. Please just ignore everything he says. He never has any idea what he's saying. _Ever._ " Master Hand apologized.

Master Hand then gestured for them to enter the mansion. Once they were inside, they couldn't help but marvel at the sheer look on the mansion's main hall. It was just as nice as the castle's main hall in Ylisse, if not more so.

"I can tell you're impressed. Please, take a look around. I'll have someone show you around. But first, let me give you these." Master Hand said.

He then dropped an envelope into Robin and Lucina's hands.

"Inside, you'll find your room keys, a map of the mansion, and a basic schedule. Tomorrow, you and all the other newcomers will be given a proper introduction to Super Smash Brothers. You'll be given the rules of the tournament, rules of the mansion itself, and some other basic information. Until then, I'll have someone show you around the mansion. Zelda, would you come here please?" Master Hand said.

Lucina and Robin then saw a brunette woman with pointed ears and a purple and white dress approach them.

"Robin, Lucina, this is Princess Zelda, a veteran Smasher here. Zelda, these are some of our newcomers. Meet Robin and Lucina." Master Hand introduced.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Zelda greeted.

"Likewise. If I may ask, Master Hand said you were a princess. What is the name of your kingdom?" Robin asked.

"I hail from the kingdom of Hyrule." Zelda answered.

Lucina was about to ask where in the world this 'Hyrule' place was but then she remembered that this tournament pulled together people from several different universes. Lucina had almost thought that Zelda was some kind of manakete from their world.

"Shall we get this tour started?" Zelda asked.

"Indeed. I'd very much like to see what this mansion has to offer. Lucina, shall we be off?" Robin asked his friend.

"You go on ahead. I'd like to put my things in my room first." Lucina replied.

"Are you sure? We only just got here. You don't even know your way around." Robin pointed out.

"I will be fine. This place can't be that different from the castle. Farewell, Robin." Lucina stated.

"Suit yourself. Now then, Robin, where should we begin?" Zelda stated.

The two of them went their separate ways. Lucina went down a hallway leading to the east end of the mansion. Once she got to the end of the hallway, she found herself at the start of another hallway. She went down that one, but still had no idea where she was. After going down a couple more long hallways, she realized that this place was nowhere near like the castle that she had grown up in. With no other options, she opened the envelope that Master Hand had given her and pulled out the map that was inside. She also found a card with 'Room 2505' written on it. She then looked at the map, but since she had no idea where she was right now, it didn't really help.

Lucina was just about ready to give up. She looked around to see if anyone else was around that would be able to help her. At first, no one was visible, but then she heard a door open from behind her. She turned around and saw a young man roughly her own age, if not a little older, come out of what looked like a library. He had blonde hair and a large, strange looking red sword strapped to his back. He looked fairly intelligent, so maybe he would be able to help her.

"Pardon me, sir? Could you please help me? I'm trying to find Room 2505, but I got lost and have no idea where to go." Lucina asked him.

"2505? Oh, sure. What you wanna do is go to the end of this hallway, look to the left, then take either the lift or the stairs to the next level. After that the room you want should be right there on your right." The young man told her.

"You have my gratitude, sir." Lucina said before starting to head off.

"Hold on a second. Did you say 2505? That's right across the hall from my room. I'm in 2504." He said.

"Oh?" Lucina said, not really sure where he was going with this.

"Well… If I'm going to be here for a while, I might as well get to know some of the people here, especially my hallmates, so… I'm Shulk." He said, extending his hand for her to shake.

"My name is Lucina." She said, taking his hand and shaking it.

"Well, nice to meet you, Lucina." Shulk replied.

Lucina found his name to be rather strange, but still unique. She wondered if he was also a veteran of this tournament and if he knew anything that could help her prepare for the tournament.

"Tell me, Shulk, do you know what life is like here? Do you what I might be able to expect?" She asked.

"Not really, sorry. I only just got here about an hour ago. What about you?"

"I have only just arrived myself. I'm afraid I know nothing about this place thus far."

"No worries. I'm sure they'll explain everything tomorrow. I wonder what everyone else here is like."

"I admit, I'm curious about that as well, Shulk. Although I was never the greatest at making friends. I wonder if they'll think favorably of me."

"Well, you seem pretty nice to me, Lucina. I'm sure you and I will be great friends."

Lucina was glad to have already made a new friend in this strange new place. He seemed pretty nice to her as well. Then again, so did Inigo when she first met him. Lucina could only hope that Shulk would not turn out like Inigo and be a jerk to her. She did not want to preemptively judge him. She had done that more than once in the past, and it had led to nothing but pain.

"Anyway, how about I show you the way to your room so you can drop your stuff off?" Shulk offered.

"That's very kind of you, thank you, Shulk." Lucina said.

Shulk then headed off down the hallway, with Lucina following her new friend close behind.

* * *

 **Shulk and Lucina attained support level C.**

 **Now that that's done, I can really get this story off the ground. The next chapter will involve these two learning a little bit more about each other. Since I just planted the seeds of friendship in them, what better way to get them to start blooming than to have them learn a little bit about each other?**

 **As a side note, I've decided that since Shulk sounds British, has a British voice actor, and comes from a world where most everyone has a British accent, whenever he speaks, I'm going to try to adhere to Britain's grammar rules and use British terms and slang. This includes using words like 'colour' instead of 'color', using 'lift' instead of 'elevator', and so on and so forth. However, whenever anyone else is speaking, I'll still be using American grammar rules. That being said, to any and all of my British readers, I say this: If ever I forget to change the spelling of certain words in Shulk's dialogue, or use a word or phrase you guys don't typically use, please let me know and tell me what to use instead. I'll be more than happy to change it.**

 **In closing, what did you guys think of this chapter? I would greatly enjoy a review. A follow and/or favorite would also be appreciated. Just no flames. I hate flames, as I'm sure all you other writers on this site do as well. If you don't like the work, either don't say anything and read a different story, or leave me constructive criticism so that I can improve my writing abilities.**

 **The next chapter will be out soon, I hope. I'll get to work on it as soon as I can. I'll see you again when it's out. Farewell.**


	3. Getting to know you

**Aloha, readers! I'm here to deliver another chapter to you guys. Ready for a great read?**

 **Well, in any case, I'm here, so let's get this over with.**

 **One last thing: I've decided that at the start of each chapter, I'm going to respond to all my comments so I can let you guys know my thoughts on your feedback.**

 **Guest: Thank you for your kind comment. I always try and go above and beyond when writing my stories. I try and learn everything I can about those I'm writing for before I start. And the fact that I find both games very interesting was a big help to me. Also, I hope what I've got coming next in this story, and whatever comes after that.**

 **Guest: I'll keep that in mind. Thank you.**

 **Althea Sirius: Thanks. I pride myself on being one of the few members of the Smash community that actually knows there's more to Shulk than just underwear and 'I'm really feeling it!' Also, the main reason I decided to have Shulk use British terms and such is because in the subtitles for the game's cutscenes, the characters use such terms sometimes as well as British spelling, such as 'fovourite', not 'favorite'. I try and be as realistic as possible when writing.**

 **With that said, let the reading commence!**

 ** _Super Smash Bros._** **© Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai.**

* * *

* _Smash Manson_ *

* _10:00 AM_ *

* * *

All of the newcomers to Smash Bros. were just exiting a small screening room after being informed of how the tournament would work. They then made their way to the mansion's main hall. Master Hand had informed them that a weekly schedule would be posted there every Sunday. This schedule would post who would be fighting with who, where they would fight, and what kind of match it would be, either timed or stocked. It was also allowed to challenge another Smasher to a fight as long as neither the challenger or the one challenged was not about to have a scheduled fight. The newcomers were also informed that the winner of each fight would receive a certain amount of Smash Coins, the currency of the Smash Mansion, based on their performance. They could then use these coins to pay for a variety of things around the mansion, including food, collectable trophies, and various other items. They could also go into Smashville, the town that surrounded the mansion, and spend their coins there.

Shulk managed to make his way to the front of the crowd and get a good look at the schedule. He immediately saw his name near the top of the list. He was scheduled to fight against a woman named Peach on an area called 'Wii Fit Studio' in an hour. Lucina also got a look at the schedule. She saw that she was supposed to fight a Smash veteran named Toon Link on a stage labeled 'Skyworld' at 11:30, just a half hour after Shulk's battle.

Lucina had to admit, she was quite curious as to how her new friend fought. She had never seen a weapon quite like his before. She wondered what it was and what it could do. An hour passed, and Shulk made his way toward the east end of the mansion. Lucina followed quietly behind, wanting to watch his match with Peach.

Shulk finally made it to his destination, a large room labeled 'Transporter Room', where he found Peach waiting for him. Master Hand had explained that it was from this room that most of the tournament would take place. In the Transporter Room, all combatants of a match would stand on a circular platform, and these platforms would transport the fighters to an area in one of the Smasher's home universes. These areas, called stages, were where the fights would take place. Upon completion of a match, the fighters would instantly be teleported back to the Transporter Room. Usually, the stage that the matches were to be fought on were pre-determined. However, if two or more Smashers wanted to have an unscheduled match, they could simply choose the stage themselves, or let Master Hand choose for them.

It had been decided that the match between Shulk and Peach would be a stock match, meaning both fighters would be given a certain amount of 'stocks' at the start of the match, and being knocked out, or KO'd, for short, would result in the loss of a stock. Whoever ran out of stocks first would be the loser. Shulk and Peach stood on two individual transporters as they began activating and took the two of them to the Wii Fit Studio, each with three stocks at the start of the match.

Lucina made her way into a small room next to the Transporter Room, a room labeled 'Spectator Room', where any Smasher could watch a match that was currently going on. She took a seat as the match between Shulk and Peach was just starting. She made a mental note to ask Master Hand about how these devices that he had called 'televisions' worked.

Just as Shulk and Peach were being teleported to the Wii Fit Studio, the Mushroom Princess spoke.

"Good luck with the match, Shulk." She said politely.

"Thanks. You too, Peach." He replied.

They then heard an unseen announcer count down to the fight.

 _3_

 _2_

 _1_

 _GO!_

Shulk and Peach approached each other and prepared to fight. Shulk grabbed his Monado and cycled through his Arts until a purple kanji appeared in the glass center of the Monado. This was his Buster Art, which allowed the Monado to dish out twice as much damage as usual.

"Busta'!" Shulk shouted as his blade began glowing purple.

Peach swung her feet at Shulk in an attempt to keep him at a distance. The attack hit, and Shulk was knocked back about a foot.

"What did you say?" Peach asked.

"I said Busta'. It's an Art the Monado can use." Shulk answered.

"You mean Buster?" Peach asked.

"That's what I said." Shulk replied.

Peach decided to stop questioning his accent, and continue fighting.

She used some form of magic to start floating in the air, and began floating toward Shulk. But right as she got close to him, He thrust the Monado forward, and a shining blue blade extended from the sword and struck Peach. Due to the effects of the Buster Art, the attack did heavy damage on her, but didn't knock her very far back.

Peach then, somehow, pulled a turnip from the ground. But before she could throw it, Shulk landed several more hits on her. He then grabbed her wrist and hit her in the head with the Monado's handle before throwing her forward and hitting her with the blue blade again.

Peach then threw the turnip, which hit Shulk in the head. While he was distracted, the Mushroom princess pulled a tennis racket out of seemingly nowhere and hit Shulk with it. He was then knocked back a few feet. Once he rose to his feet, Peach pulled another turnip from the ground and threw it. However, Shulk managed to dodge it and continued his own attack. Shulk swung his sword at her, but she simultaneously attacked him using her butt, for some reason. Both fighters were knocked back a bit before they continued attacking.

By now, the two of them made their way to the edge of the yoga studio. Peach then slapped Shulk in the face, hard. The force was enough to knock Shulk back into an invisible barrier. In a stock match, hitting this barrier meant you got KO'd and lost a stock. Upon hitting the barrier, Shulk disappeared instantly, but reappeared a moment later on a floating platform just above the yoga studio. Shulk jumped off the platform and prepared to continue fighting.

"Not bad, Peach." Shulk complimented after jumping off the platform.

"Thank you." She said.

Shulk grabbed the Monado and reactivated the Buster Art.

"Busta'!" He shouted.

Shulk was just about to attack Peach again, but she beat him to the punch. She grabbed him by the front of his shirt and hit him with her waist a couple times. Shulk managed to wiggle out of her grasp and went on the offensive. Peach was about to slam into him again, but at that moment, Shulk's eyes glowed a bright blue for a second. Once the glow disappeared, Shulk sidestepped Peach's attack and swung his sword at her back. She was knocked back several feet and fell on the floor. She slowly rose to her feet to continue attacking.

From the Spectator Room, Lucina was surprised at how the match was going. She was shocked at how quickly Shulk had managed to evade many of Peach's attacks. She also wondered why his eyes had glowed for a second. She decided to ask him once the match was over and continue watching.

Shulk and Peach continued to throw attacks at each other, but to no avail. Shulk eventually managed to grab her wrist again, and hit her with the handle of his sword again before throwing her behind him. Peach tried throwing another turnip at him, but Shulk managed to sidestep out of its way. He then grabbed Peach again, and threw her upward with the Monado. Peach landed on the ground, and Shulk made his way toward her.

She jumped in the air, hoping to attack him from above, but ultimately, it failed. Shulk saw the attack coming and thrust the Monado upward. Its blade extended as it hit Peach. She was then knocked skyward until she got KO'd by hitting the invisible barrier.

She reappeared on one of the floating platforms and jumped off, ready to continue the battle. She tried attacking him from above again, this time by trying to kick him in the face from the air, but she missed. She then pulled another turnip from the ground and threw it at Shulk. It hit him, and Peach went in for a follow up attack. However, she missed, and Shulk started attacking again.

The two of them danced around each other for some time, neither one landing a solid hit on the other. Peach pulled another turnip from the ground and held it, waiting for the right moment to throw it at Shulk. Eventually, she landed a hit on him. She grabbed his shirt again and struck him with her waist a few times. She then threw him forward, threw the turnip at him, and slammed him with her ass again. Shulk was instantly KO'd by the attack, leaving him with only one stock left.

Upon reappearing on the platform again, Shulk ran for her and began attacking again. He grabbed her wrist again and hit her with the Monado's handle twice before she managed to struggle out of his grip. The two of them then started struggling again, each one only landing minor hits on the other. Peach then tried jumping over Shulk, but Shulk just aimed the Monado's blade upward. The shining blue blade hit the princess and she was thrown upward.

Upon landing on the ground, Peach got up and the two combatants ran for each other again. Once she was right in front of him, Peach seemingly pulled a golf club out of thin air and swung it at Shulk. However, Shulk's eyes began glowing again, and he dodged the attack once they stopped glowing. Shulk then counterattacked by swinging the Monado into Peach's stomach, knocking her back several feet.

He then reactivated his Buster Art and went at Peach again. She jumped in the air to avoid whatever attack he was about to throw her way, but came in for a landing right at Shulk's feet. Shulk took advantage of this by swinging the Monado at the ground around him. Peach was hit by the attack and got knocked to the ground. She got up as Shulk jumped toward her, ready to follow up his attack.

She pulled another turnip from the ground, but an attack from Shulk forced her to drop it and made her stumble backwards. She tried slamming him with her butt again, but Shulk's eyes once again glowed for a second before he reacted. Shulk sidestepped the attack and swung the Monado at her back. The attack launched her almost entirely across the yoga studio before she began falling to the ground.

Shulk approached her as she was falling, and was standing right in front of her when she landed. She got up and tried slamming Shulk again, only for it to end the same way as before. With glowing eyes, a step out of the way, an being hit with the Monado. She flew across the stage until hitting the invisible barrier, resulting in a K.O.

Both fighters only had one stock left each, and they were ready to end this battle. Shulk's Buster Art had deactivated, and he activated his Speed Art in its place.

"Speed!" Shulk shouted as a blue kanji appeared in the Monado and his feet began glowing blue.

Peach tried to attack Shulk again, but he dodged the attacks by running around them at twice his usual speed. He then ran for her, and before she knew what was going on, he had landed several quick hits on her, forcing her backwards. Peach pulled another turnip from the ground as she prepared to throw it at her opponent. She then attempted to slam him with her ass again, and this time, she succeeded. Shulk was knocked back a few feet by the attack. She then threw the turnip at him to keep him down.

Shulk's Speed Art wore off as Peach approached him again. She pulled another turnip from the ground as she ran for him. She attempted to slap him in the face again, but was, once again, met with glowing eyes and a quick counterattack.

Peach got knocked back and fell to the ground. As she got up, she saw Shulk reactivate the Monado's Buster Art, along with the accompanying war cry. He swung his sword at her again, and knocked her back several feet, causing serious damage. She tried to jump over him and attack him from behind, but Shulk just hit her with the Monado's blade again while she was airborne. She fell to the ground as Shulk attempted a follow up attack. Peach dodged the attack and pulled two turnips from the ground before throwing both at Shulk. He dodged the first one while the second one led to another glowing set of eyes from Shulk, a dodged attack, and a counterattack. However, Peach managed to avoid the counterattack, only to have her wrist grabbed again and have her head smacked by the Monado's handle. She then jerked her wrist out of Shulk's grasp, and jumped away. Only to have Shulk jump after her. He landed in front of her, grabbed her wrist again, and repeated the same process as before.

Shulk then threw Peach in front of him and hither with the Monado for good measure. By now, his Buster Art had worn out and he replaced it with his Smash Art, which allowed him to knock back his opponents twice as far as usual. The Art was accompanied by a red kanji in the Monado and glowing red hands.

"Smash!" He yelled as the Art activated.

Peach pulled another turnip from the ground and attempted to throw it at Shulk, but he once again dodged the flying vegetable. She tried landing a few more hits on him, but to no avail. Shulk then grabbed her wrist once again, and hit her with the Monado's handle twice before throwing her behind him and hitting her in the back with the Monado. The Smash Art launched Peach even further than usual, and she got KO'd, losing her last stock, and the match.

" _GAME!_ " The unseen announcer from before declared.

" _The winner is: Shulk!_ " The voice boomed.

Shulk and Peach were teleported back to the Transporter Room after the winner was declared.

"That was a grand time. Thanks for the match, Peach." Shulk said.

"You as well, Shulk. We'll have to do it again sometime." Peach said before departing.

Inside the Spectator Room, Lucina was incredibly surprised. Never in her life had she seen a fighting style like Shulk's. Nor had she ever seen a weapon like his before. He used both very efficiently, and she couldn't help but wonder where he got his training and who had made such an incredible weapon.

She left the Spectator Room and was about to ask Shulk her questions, but then she remembered that she had a match herself in a very short while. She looked at a clock and saw that it was 11:29. Her match was due to begin in one minute. She decided her questions could wait for a later day.

She then saw a small creature with green clothing and large eyes approach her. He looked like something she and her friends would draw for fun when they were little, before the dark times, before Grima.

"Hello." She said to the creature. "Can I assume that you are this 'Toon Link' that I am to fight against?"

"That's me! You can just call me Toon for short if you want. Are you Lucina?" He asked.

"I am. Shall we begin?" She asked.

"Lets!" Toon Link responded.

He and Lucina entered the Transporter Room to begin their match. Shulk had just exited the room and was about to explore the mansion, but when he saw Lucina enter the Transporter Room, he decided to watch her match instead. He entered the Spectator Room and took a seat.

It had been decided that the match between Lucina and Toon Link would be a timed one, meaning that their match would have a time limit. Instead of stocks, timed battles used points. If you KO'd your opponent, you would get a point, but getting KO'd would cost you a point. Whoever had more points when time ran out would be the winner. In the event of a tie, the match would go to Sudden Death, meaning whoever landed a single blow on their opponent first would be the winner.

Lucina and Toon Link stood on their respective platforms as they were teleported to a stage called 'Skyworld'. Two minutes were put on their clock as the match began. An unseen announcer counted down to their fight.

 _3_

 _2_

 _1_

 _GO!_

The two of them started off on different platforms of the stage as the match began. Toon Link ran and jumped on her platform, trying to land the first blow. Lucina dodged and attempted to land a blow of her own, but also missed. Toon then pulled a bow and arrow out of seemingly nowhere and shot an arrow at Lucina. She dodged, but Toon swung his sword at her, knocking her back slightly. He swung his sword at her again, landing a few minor hits before Lucina swung her own sword, called the Parallel Falchion, at Toon. He was knocked slightly upward before falling to the ground.

Toon Link got up and swung his sword in a circle around him. Lucina was caught in the flurry and was knocked onto another platform above them. Toon jumped up there as well and attempted to use a clawshot to grab her and pull her close to him. However, Lucina sidestepped the clawshot and got behind Toon. She quickly swung her sword downward, hitting Toon and knocking him back several feet. Lucina then ran to the platform she was originally standing on, where Toon was just coming in for a landing. Once he landed, Lucina grabbed him and held him in front of her. She then kneed him in the stomach before throwing him skyward. When he landed, Lucina swung Falchion at her feet, knocking him back. Toon then threw a boomerang in her direction. It didn't hit her, but distracted her long enough for Toon to come back up on a platform beneath the one she was standing on without her noticing.

Once she figured out where he was, Lucina ran down to the platform Toon was on and swung her sword at him. He swung his sword at her at the same time, and both combatants were knocked back. Lucina then swung her blade at him in rapid succession, almost as if the blade was dancing. The move knocked Toon Link off the stage and KO'd him. Lucina received a point while Toon Link lost one.

Toon Link came back on a floating platform and jumped back onto the stage to engage Lucina once again. After dancing around each other for a short while, Toon managed to deliver a solid blow, knocking Lucina back a few feet.

As she got up, Toon approached her again and they swung their respective swords at each other again. Each one landed a few decent hits on the other until Toon nearly knocked Lucina off the stage. She managed to get back up, but once she did, Toon shot two arrows at her. She recovered from the attack rather quickly, and knocked him back with another downward swing from Falchion.

With less than a minute on the clock, Toon doubled his efforts trying to bring Lucina down. She swung her sword at him again and hit him, but Toon recovered and managed to knock Lucina behind him with a hard sword swing. He then sent another sword swing downward, knocking Lucina off the stage and KO'ing her. She lost a point and Toon gained one, returning the score to 0-0.

Once Lucina made it back to the stage, she and Toon danced around each other for about a solid five seconds before Toon finally landed a decent hit on her again. She was almost knocked off the stage again, but managed to get back on. His next sword swing missed her, but Toon managed to grab her in his clawshot and nearly threw her off the stage again. Again, she recovered and retaliated with a sword swing of her own. Toon was knocked back a few feet, but got up and prepared to continue fighting.

With only 30 seconds left, things began to get a little intense. Lucina struck Toon again, knocking him several feet away, and also destroying the platforms she was standing on. When Lucina looked down, she saw that she was standing on a cloud. Before she could begin to question how that was even possible, Toon made it back onto the stage with his clawshot.

Lucina jumped after him, but got caught in another flurry of strikes from him. She fell backwards, and Toon landed another strike on her. But she quickly got up and swung her sword at him as fast as she could, hitting him and making him stumble backwards. She then swung her sword downward, destroying another section of the platform she and Toon were standing on. Toon then swung his sword at her again, but Lucina countered and knocked Toon off the stage. He tried to get back on with his clawshot, but unfortunately, it didn't reach far enough, and Toon fell downwards, hitting the invisible barrier around the stage, thus KO'ing him. By then, there was only five seconds left. The announcer from before then begun counting down the remaining time.

 _5_

 _4_

 _3_

 _2_

 _1_

 _TIME!_

Toon Link hadn't even made it back to the stage by the time the match ended. Lucina had won the match with a score of 1 to -1.

" _The winner is: Lucina!_ " The announcer boomed.

"Well, good game, Lucina." Toon said to her.

"Thank you for an interesting match, Toon Link." She replied.

"No problem." He said.

From inside the Spectator Room, Shulk watched the end of the match with amazement. He was surprised at how good a fighter Lucina was. He had never seen someone move so quickly and so gracefully with a sword before. It was no wonder she was asked to compete in this tournament.

After their match, Lucina and Toon Link were brought back to the Transporter Room. Toon Link went off elsewhere to relax. Lucina was about to head back to the main room to re-check the schedule, but she came across Shulk first, as he was just exiting the Spectator room. The two of them began walking side by side.

"Oh, 'ello Lucina." Shulk greeted.

"Hello to you as well… Shuck, right?" Lucina said, having a hard time remembering his name.

"Actually, it's Shulk." He corrected.

"Ah, yes. My apologies, Shulk." Lucina said.

"No worries. We only just met yesterday, after all. I must say, that was quite a match. I'm impressed with how well you handle that sword." Shulk complimented.

"Thank you, Shulk. Your match was quite a spectacle as well. I've never seen a weapon like that before. How does it work? Is it some form of magic?" Lucina asked, deciding to get answers to the questions she wanted to ask him earlier.

"No. The Monado doesn't run on magic, per se. It's a tricky thing, and it's very difficult to explain." Shulk said.

"Is that what your sword is called? The Monado?" Lucina asked.

Shulk nodded and Lucina continued her questions.

"I see. I must also wonder, there were a few instances in your match that I saw your eyes glow brightly for a few seconds. Is that normal for people in your world?" She asked.

"Not exactly. That was the Monado as well. It grants me the ability to see into the future. To know what my opponent is about to do, and react accordingly. My eyes glow whenever I'm having a vision of the future." Shulk explained.

"A sword that lets you peer into the future?! Are you certain it's not magic? Might I give it a try?" She asked.

Before waiting for an answer, she began reaching to pull the Monado off of Shulk's back.

"DON'T TOUCH IT!" Shulk screamed.

He then quickly smacked Lucina's hand away from him before she could touch the Monado. She grasped her hand in pain as Shulk realized what he'd done.

"I-I'm so sorry! That was uncalled for." Shulk apologized.

"It certainly was! What were you thinking!?" She shouted.

"I just didn't want you to get hurt. The Monado is an incredibly powerful weapon, but it's also incredibly dangerous. I'm the only one able to wield it to its full potential. Almost anyone else who tries to activate it will be killed by its immense power. And even if they survive the effects of the Monado after activating it, it takes a serious toll on their body. The person who wielded it before me had his right arm permanently paralyzed due to the Monado's power. I don't want something like that to happen to you." Shulk explained.

"A sword that can see the future and kill a man just by holding it?! By the gods." Lucina said in disbelief.

"'Gods'? So there are still gods in your world?" Shulk asked, trying to change the subject.

"Why yes. Are there no gods in your world, Shulk?" Lucina asked.

"Well, no. Not anymore, that is." Shulk stated.

"'Anymore'? Well what does that mean?!" She asked.

"Well… The story of what happened to the gods of my world is also the story of how I got the Monado and what I did with it. Allow me to tell you the story, as a way of saying sorry for slapping your hand. You might want to take a seat, this is gonna take some time" Shulk offered.

By now, Shulk and Lucina had made it to the mansion's primary living room. Lucina nodded at Shulk's offer as she took a seat on a sofa, ready to listen to Shulk's story.

"Right then, I suppose I should start by telling you what my world was like." Shulk started.

Shulk then took a deep breath as he began his story.

"Long ago, the world was nothing more than an endless sea cloaked in a boundless sky, reaching as far as could possibly be imagined. Then two great titans came into existence. The Bionis and the Mechonis. The titans were locked in a timeless battle. Until at last, only their lifeless corpses remained. Eons passed. Then, my world, the vast land stretching across the remains of the Bionis came under attack from a relentless force known as the Mechon."

Lucina listened intensely as Shulk continued his story.

"That's where my story begins, during a climactic battle between my people, the Homs, and the Mechon. A battle which took place on an area known as Sword Valley."

* * *

"And after I made my choice, I was returned to Colony 9. To a newly formed world, one where the people of Bionis and Mechonis could live in peace. Where new life could form elsewhere, free from the threat of Zanza or any other god. The end." Shulk finished.

Lucina was in utter shock at what she just heard. She never would have imagined that Shulk had to endure so much hurt, betrayal, and suffering to get to where he is now.

"I… can't believe it. Did you really have to go through all of that to defeat Zanza?" Lucina asked.

"Every last bit of it." Shulk answered.

"I'm sorry." She said.

"What for? You didn't do anything." Shulk said.

"Still, I can't imagine going through all that. It must have been so hard to endure all of that. I think what hurt the most was that you were betrayed by the very person that raised you." Lucina said.

"Yeah, that… certainly was a surprise. I can't believe Dickson would do that. Still, it hurt me even more to have to kill him." Shulk said as a single tear rolled down his face.

"By the gods." Lucina said in disbelief again.

"There, you said it again. I want to know, what are the gods like in your world. Are they anything like Zanza?" Shulk asked.

"Oh, goodness, no! The gods are said to be kind and merciful. Without them, I never would have gotten where I am now." Lucina stated.

"Oh? Care to elaborate?" Shulk asked.

Lucina was reluctant to tell her story to a complete stranger. She was about to say 'no'. However, she felt like Shulk was someone who could be trusted. He had just spilled his heart out to her and told his story to her after all. She decided to go for it.

"Very well. I suppose since you just told me your story, it would only be fair for me to tell you mine." Lucina replied.

Lucina prepared herself to tell her own tragic life story. After a few moments of preparation, she began speaking.

"I suppose my tale begins when I was just a little girl, and I saw both of my parents get killed right in front of me."

* * *

"And after several months of searching, father and Lissa found Robin passed out in the same field that they originally found him in and welcomed him back with open arms." Lucina finished.

"Wow." Was all Shulk could say.

He was surprised at all that Lucina had gone through in her journey. He was saddened when she said that her parents had died trying to protect her, but at least she got to see them again by traveling back in time. He was not so lucky with his parents.

"Well, I'm glad things worked out for you in the end after you defeated Grima." Shulk said, trying to lift the mood.

"Thank you, Shulk. I must say, I'm happy that your world can experience peace as well. However, there is one thing I must wonder. You seemed rather close to this 'Fiora'. I cannot help but be curious. Were you and her together at all?" Lucina asked.

"Oh, um, well, we did get together after we took down Zanza, but we broke up a couple days before I came here. We didn't really connect the way I thought we would." Shulk stated.

Lucina was surprised to hear that Shulk had also ended a long-term relationship with someone from his world. At least, from the sound of it, it had been a soft break up, unlike hers and Inigo's. She gave a heavy sigh as the things Inigo had said to her started coming back to her.

"Lucina? Are you alright?" Shulk asked, noticing her sudden sadness.

"Hmm? Oh, worry not. I'm fine." She replied.

Shulk knew she was lying, but didn't feel like pressing her any further. Not yet. He decided to leave her alone for now and see if he could help her later if she was still feeling upset.

"If you say so, Lucina. Anyway, I'm going to explore the rest of the mansion. There's a lot I haven't seen yet. I'll see you around." Shulk said.

"Farewell, Shulk." Lucina replied before going on her own way.

* * *

 **Shulk and Lucina attained support level B.**

 **So… this could have been a bit better. First off, writing in accents is easier said than done. Not that I'm giving up on it, it's just hard. Second, I'll just say it, the first half of this chapter was just an excuse for me to show off my personal interpretation of how Smash Bros. works, as well as a test of my ability to write fight scenes. That's something I've struggled with in my other stories. However, I feel like this time, I'll have a much easier time writing out the fights. For the first fight, what I did was put a Level 9 CPU Shulk against a Level 9 CPU random character, put them on a random stage, had them fight, then just wrote out the fight as it happened. I did the same thing with Lucina's match. I intend to do the same with (most of) my future fights in this story. That way, I can get it as close to the actual game as possible. I hope you guys actually liked the fight scenes.**

 **Either way, I hope you like what comes next even more. I won't reveal much, but I'll just say this much: Now that I've got most of the expositional crap out of the way, the next chapter will focus on Shulk and Lucina throughout the entire thing, not just the end.**

 **I'll have the next out as soon as possible. If you liked the chapter, please drop me a follow, favorite, or a review. If not, well, go read something else. I'll see you all later. Aloha!**


	4. Getting to like you

**And a good day to all of you! How's it going? Are you ready for another chapter? Excellent.**

 **This chapter, I've decided to have Shulk and Lucina interact a little more than usual. Let's jump right into it, shall we?**

 **EyeofAmetyst07: Since I mostly only play Smash online now, I've forgotten how much the Shulk CPU spams Buster. My bad. I'll tone it down a bit in all future fights. It would get a bit annoying if Shulk did that for every single fight. Regardless, I'm glad you liked the rest of the chapter and I hope you like what comes next.**

 **ZachaRicO: Thank you. I'm glad you think so highly of my story and I hope you like what I've got planned in the future. Also, I'll try and keep a few of your criticisms in mind when writing future chapters.**

 ** _Super Smash Brothers_** **© Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai**

* * *

* _Smash Mansion dining hall_ *

* _9:00 AM_ *

* * *

All the Smashers were gathered for breakfast in the dining hall. Like every meal, breakfast consisted of food from all the Smasher's home worlds. Shulk had decided to get something from Mario's world. A type of bread product called a bagel. He also got himself a cup of tea to drink. After getting his food, Shulk proceeded to a register to pay for his food.

"That will be 15 Smash coins." A Mii said at the register.

"Here ya go." Shulk said, handing the Mii the correct change.

All the newcomers had been given 100 Smash coins at the start of the tournament, and had been advised to only use them for food at first, as certain parts of the tournament, such as Classic Mode and the newly introduced Master/Crazy Orders, cost a lot of Smash coins to participate in. They had also been advised to save up their coins so they could later participate in these events. It cost a lot, sure, but the rewards could potentially be greater than the cost.

Shulk wandered the dining hall looking for a place to sit. Eventually, he found an empty table in the corner and decided to sit there. He wondered why the dining hall didn't have more tables when there were close to 50 competitors in this tournament. He made a mental note to bring this up to Master Hand later. Maybe he just didn't have time to expand the dining hall yet, given the last tournament just ended.

Shulk had just taken a sip of his tea when he saw Lucina and a man with white hair and a black robe also looking for a table. Shulk decided to invite them over to his table.

"Oi! Lucina, over here!" Shulk beckoned.

Lucina and her companion looked over at Shulk and saw that his table had some empty seats.

"Wanna sit here? There's a few seats open here."

Lucina and her friend walked over to the table and took a seat.

"You have my thanks, Shulk. Oh, this is Robin, my father's best friend. He came here with me." Lucina said, introducing her friend.

"'ello, Robin. Nice to meet you." Shulk said, shaking his hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Shulk. Lucina has spoken quite highly of you thus far." Robin said.

"Well, I'm glad she likes me." Shulk replied.

Shulk took a bite of his food after he spoke. He thought it was alright, but would be better if it was warmer. He spotted a series of toasters and microwaves sitting on a table not far from where he was.

"If you'll excuse me a moment, I'm gonna heat up my food a bit." Shulk stated.

"How do you intend to do that? I see no fire around." Lucina said.

"Er, no. I'm using those things there." Shulk said, gesturing to the microwaves.

Shulk then headed off toward the table. Lucina and Robin followed, wondering what Shulk was doing. From their perspective, he was heading to a table with a bunch of strange looking metal boxes.

"What are those things for?" Lucina asked.

"They're supposed to heat up food in a short amount of time. We actually have some similar devices in my world. Granted, I've never seen them like this before, but someone named Ness showed me how they worked yesterday at dinner." Shulk explained.

Shulk then put his food in the microwave, set the timer for one minute, and started it. Once it was done, Shulk pulled it out and took a bite.

"Not quite ready yet." He said, putting it back in.

"Fascinating. What did you say they were called again?" Robin asked.

"Microwaves." Shulk replied.

"Intriguing. I'm glad that we no longer have to wait so long to make old food warm again. So, all that aside, how have your fights been going so far? I'm interested to see how your combat skills are." Robin asked.

"So far, so good. I've only had a couple since I came here, but I've been doing good. However, I feel like things are about to get a bit more interesting. That things will really get…"

Just then, the microwave went off again, and Shulk gestured to them again.

"…heated up." Shulk finished.

Robin let out a chuckle at the terrible joke, but Lucina's expression didn't change.

"You're not much one for humour, are you?" Shulk asked her.

"No. I've never much seen the fidelity of humor, given the dark times I grew up in. Others have called me out on it, but it's just who I am." She replied.

"No worries. I never meant that you were annoying for it or anything. Far from it, actually. It's just not a strength of yours." Shulk said.

Lucina actually found herself smiling slightly at the fact that Shulk didn't berate her for not having much of a sense of humor. But then she frowned again, thinking of Inigo. Without another word, she went back to the table to eat.

"What's with her? Did I say something wrong?" Shulk asked Robin.

"No. it's nothing to do with you, Shulk." Robin stated. "The thing is…"

* * *

After breakfast and a match with the one called Captain Falcon, Lucina went on a walk around the mansion. Eventually, she found herself in the library. She had heard that it was a good place to be when you wanted a little quiet. She had just taken a seat in one of the chairs when she saw Shulk sitting in one of the other chairs, reading a book. He noticed her looking at him and set his book to the side.

"Hey Lucina. What brings you here?" Shulk asked.

"Oh, hello, Shulk. I was simply trying to find a quiet place to think." She responded.

"Ah, I see. Well in that case, I don't want to disturb you, so, I'll be on my way." Shulk said.

"No, it's alright. I don't mind if you stay. Though, I appreciate the offer." Lucina replied.

"No problem. I was just hoping to make a good impression." Shulk replied.

"Well, I believe you have succeeded." Lucina said.

"Well, thanks. I was hoping to get a few people to like me. I didn't exactly have the easiest time making friends as a kid." Shulk stated.

"Really? I find that difficult to believe. You seem like a charming fellow to me, Shulk." Lucina said.

"Well, I'm glad someone likes me. I think you're really nice too, Lucina."

"I appreciate it. Anyway, I will let you get back to your reading. What is it you're reading, anyway?" Lucina asked.

"Well, I wanted to learn a little bit more about the homes of some of the others here. This book here is about a group of monsters called Pokémon. I decided to look at it after seeing that one creature called… What was it? Jigglypuff, I think?" Shulk said.

"Fascinating. You're quite the intellectual. I could tell you were smart the moment I met you. I believe it's quite an admirable trait." Lucina replied.

"Heh. Well, I try." Shulk said.

He then returned to his book as Lucina went about her own business. She eventually found a book of her own to read and sat down with it.

* * *

* _A week later_ *

Lucina was out and about exploring the gardens surrounding the mansion. She had never seen flowers take on so many different colors back in her home.

"I've never seen such a bright purple." She mused as she plucked the flower and sniffed it.

As she turned around to keep looking at the gardens, she spied Shulk walking across the field. He looked kind of tired, even though it was only midafternoon.

"Good day, Shulk." She greeted.

"Oh, hey Lucina." Shulk replied.

"Are you alright? You seem somewhat tired. Did you just finish a difficult match?" Lucina asked.

"Yeah. Pac-Man got me pretty good. Man, I never thought that one little yellow ball could fight so well. Oh well, I'll get him next time."

"I see. Still, you do seem rather tired after the whole thing. And, are you… limping? Are you hurt?!" Lucina asked.

"I told you, I'm fine, don't worry. What about you? You dong good?" Shulk asked.

"I am fine, thanks." Lucina replied.

"Good. I always like to know how my friends are doing." Shulk said.

"Even in times when you are not feeling at your best?" She asked.

"Yeah, even then. But again, I'm alright. I just need to relax for a bit." Shulk reassured.

"If you insist. Nevertheless, I appreciate the sentiment, Shulk. I like how you take consideration for the feelings of others, unlike…" Lucina started.

She struggled to get her next word out, and Shulk was visibly worried about her. He was about to ask her what was wrong, but she simply turned around and walked away from him without another word. Shulk was about to follow, but ultimately decided not to. He stood there, thinking about what Lucina had said, and why she would be acting the way she did. He wondered if there was any way to get the answers he was looking for out of her, then find a way to help her. He thought for a while but nothing came to him. With nothing else to do, Shulk headed back toward the mansion.

* * *

Lucina was heading back to her room after dinner, ready to go to bed. After leaving the dining hall, she made her way to her room, ready for a nice sleep. However, once she turned onto her hallway, she saw Shulk standing in front of the door right across from hers. He was just unlocking his door for the night.

"Good evening, Shulk." Lucina greeted.

"Hey Lucina. Getting ready for bed?" Shulk asked.

"Indeed. It's been quite a long day. Wouldn't you agree?" She said.

"Yeah. I'm ready to hit the hay." Shulk replied.

Shulk then noticed Lucina's sword at her side and noticed one peculiar detail about it. He then decided to ask her a question about it.

"But before I go to bed, I want to ask you a quick question, if I may." Shulk stated.

"Very well." Lucina replies.

"I really like the design of your sword. But I'm wondering, does the hole in the center do anything?" Shulk asked.

"'Do anything'? I don't follow, Shulk." She replied.

"What I mean is, well… see the center of the Monado?"

Shulk then held up his Monado and pointed at the glass circle for emphasis. Lucina nodded so Shulk continued speaking.

"This is where the Arts that grant the Monado extra power come from. It shows me which Art is currently active."

As he spoke, Shulk cycled through a few of his Arts for emphasis before deactivating the sword and strapping it to his back once again. Lucina was amazed by all the different symbols that appeared in the sword.

"I was just wondering if the hole in your sword did something similar." Shulk said.

"Oh, no. Falchion holds no such power. Not like the Monado, anyway. The hole is merely there for decorative purposes." Lucina replied.

"Ah, I see. Still, I think it's kinda funny how we both fight with indestructible swords with holes in the center." Shulk pointed out.

"Yes, I suppose it is quite the coincidence." She replied.

"I just realized, that's just another thing we have in common." Shulk said.

"Another?"

"Yeah. I was thinking about your story earlier today, and I realized you and I have a lot of similarities. We both have ties to the future, what with me being able to change it, and you coming from the future. We both were fixated on changing our destinies as determined by evil deities, and we both wield our respective world's most legendary weapons." Shulk explained.

"I suppose you're right, Shulk. We are quite similar." Lucina admitted.

"And, it seems we both ended long term relationships right before we came here."

Lucina gave a small gasp of surprise at this. She never directly mentioned to Shulk that she was in a relationship with anyone prior to entering Smash Bros. So how did he know?

"Robin told me. He said that this… what was his name? Indigo, or something? Whatever. Robin said this guy said some real nasty things to you." Shulk explained.

"Yes. He did." Lucina said, trying to fight back her own sadness.

"I'm sorry, Lucina. I didn't mean to bring back painful memories." Shulk said.

"N-no. It's not your fault." Lucina said.

As Lucina looked at the ground in sadness, Shulk gently put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Shulk looking at her with a comforting smile on his face.

"Y'know, if you ever need anyone to talk to, I'm more than happy to lend an ear." Shulk said.

Lucina thought about his offer for a moment before asking:

"And you'll not think me too forward or even… annoying for airing my problems with you?"

"No. Of course not. I promise." Shulk said.

Lucina again thought about Shulk's offer for a short while before giving him a response.

"I appreciate your offer, Shulk. And perhaps one day, I shall take you up on it. But not this day. I'm not quite comfortable sharing my personal problems with you. For now, it's enough that I told you my tale of defeating Grima."

"Oh. Alright, that makes sense." Shulk said.

"I only wish there was something else we could do instead. I remember during the war, whenever my father saw me upset, he would ask me to a practice sparring match. Those would always make me feel better." Lucina stated.

"… Well why not?" Shulk asked.

"Pardon?" Lucina replied.

"I might not be your dad, but you and I can still have a little fight sometime. So what do you say, let's you and me have a go sometime, yeah?" Shulk offered.

Lucina thought about this for a bit. She already knew that Shulk was a capable fighter, and his weapon still intrigued her a lot. She now found herself interested in testing his skills herself. Thus far she had yet to see what he was capable of first hand. She decided that now was the best time to find out.

"Very well, Shulk. I accept your offer. I would very much like to spar with you." Lucina stated.

"Alright. You free tomorrow at 3?" Shulk asked.

"I am. I will see you then, Shulk."

"See ya then. Well, I best be goin' to sleep now. Night, Lucina." Shulk said.

"Good night, Shulk." She replied.

With that, they both retreated into their rooms for the evening, each waiting for their upcoming match with each other.

* * *

* _the next day, 2:55 PM_ *

Lucina stood patiently outside the Transporter Room, waiting for Shulk to arrive. They had agreed on having a 2 stock match and decided to be surprised on which stage to fight on. As the minutes passed by, Lucina couldn't help but wonder what was keeping Shulk. She wondered why he was not there yet. Was he perhaps running late? Or maybe she had just shown up early? Others had told her she had a tendency to do just that. However, her worries were put to rest when she saw Shulk round the corner and approach her.

"Good day, Shulk. Are you ready for our match?" She asked him.

"I am. Let's get going, shall we?" Shulk said.

With that, the pair entered the Transporter Room and stood on two individual platforms that would take them to a random stage. The platforms began to glow as they were both teleported to their stage.

The stage they arrived at was called 'Boxing Ring'. Shulk and Lucina looked around and found themselves in a small, fenced, arena surrounded by a large crowd that had gathered to watch the fight. The announcer then counted down to the fight.

 _3_

 _2_

 _1_

 _GO!_

Lucina made the first move, walking up to Shulk and swinging her blade in rapid succession at him. The strikes quickly knocked Shulk out of the ring, but he landed on his feet and approached Lucina again. As he tried jumping back into the ring, Lucina stuck him again, but he still landed inside the ring. But Lucina responded by swinging at his feet and again knocking him out of the ring.

Lucina then jumped out of the ring herself and hit Shulk again, knocking him back. Shulk responded by thrusting his Monado forward and hitting her with both the red and blue blades of his weapon. Lucina landed and ran toward him again, but Shulk swung the Monado at the ground, keeping the blue haired warrior at bay.

However, Lucina managed to catch Shulk off guard with another fast-paced flurry of strikes, knocking him backwards. Shulk responded by jumping over her head and swinging behind him, hitting Lucina and pushing her back. Shulk then activated his Speed Art, just as Lucina attempted to strike him again. Fortunately, Shulk managed to dodge with his increased speed.

Shulk used his speed to dance around Lucina for a few seconds before he saw an opening. After a failed strike from her, he thrust the Monado toward her, knocking her backward into the invisible barrier, costing her a stock. She reappeared above the ring and ran toward Shulk again.

"Very impressive, Shulk. However, it will take more than that if you wish to claim victory." Lucina shouted.

"I plan to." Shulk responded.

She jumped outside the ring just as Shulk jumped over he and attempted to hit her with a downward strike. However, Lucina was quicker and knocked Shulk into the air with an upward strike.

Shulk's Speed Art vanished at this point as he landed back in the ring. He again swung the Monado at her, but Lucina managed to counter his blade with her own, and she then struck him in the chest, forcing him back again. Lucina then jumped out the ring and prepared another attack.

The two ran at each other again, and Lucina jumped back in the ring just as Shulk jumped out. However, neither one landed a blow on the other until Lucina jumped out of the ring again and landed right in front of Shulk. He immediately grabbed her arm and smacked her in the head with the Monado's handle. She managed to escape his grasp and tried swiping at him again, but he managed to sidestep. Shulk again plunged the Monado forward, hitting Lucina dead on and forcing her backwards. He then activated the Monado's Busted Art and swung at Lucina again. However, Lucina swung at the same time, and ultimately, her attack hit first. She knocked Shulk back into the ring, and she then jumped back in herself. Shulk tried to hit her with the Monado again, but she dodged and knocked him upward.

The two danced around each other for a few seconds until Shulk activated his Shield Art, which allowed Shulk to reduce the amount of damage he takes from each blow. The Art was accompanied by a yellow kanji in the Monado and a yellow glow around Shulk's body.

With his added protection, Shulk again swung at Lucina again, but she countered and knocked him back again. The two again danced around each other for some time until they both landed near the edge of the stage. Shulk's Shield Art then deactivated, and Lucina responded by swinging her sword downward at Shulk. The boy was immediately knocked back until hitting the invisible barrier. He was KO'd and reappeared on the stage shortly afterwards.

"Not bad. But let's see if you can get that lucky again." Shulk said to Lucina.

He jumped toward her, but right when he was over her, she thrust Falchion upward, knocking him into the air. When he landed, Lucina tried striking him again, but right before she hit him, she saw his eyes glow blue. She knew what that meant. Shulk sidestepped her attack and swung at her back, knocking her to the ground. She got up and again tried to swipe her sword at Shulk, but he dodged and pointed the Monado forward, striking Lucina with his shining blue blade. Lucina then tried to hit Shulk with a downward strike, but Shulk responded with an upward thrust, knocking her into the air.

The two of them jumped back into the ring where Lucina immediately grabbed Shulk by the collar, kneed him in the stomach, threw him into the air, and jumped up after him to deliver a follow-up strike. Shulk then activated his Smash Art, and attempted to knock Lucina upward and out of the stage, but she dodged the attack and managed to knock him out of the ring. She jumped after him and swung her sword at him, but Shulk's eyes then glowed again and he managed to dodge her attack and swung back at her, knocking her more than halfway across the stage. The Smash Art disappeared as the two fighters charged at each other again.

Lucina swung her sword upward and knocked Shulk onto a light fixture above the ring. She then jumped on the fence around the ring, which allowed her to jump like she was on a trampoline, and made it on top of the light fixture as well. She knocked Shulk off of the lights and jumped after him, getting a few more well-placed hits in before knocking him back into the ring.

Shulk then activated his Jump Art, which allowed him to jump around twice as high as normal. This Art came with a green kanji and a green glow around Shulk's legs. He jumped around, trying to get a decent hit on Lucina, but ultimately was not able to before she grabbed him, kicked him in the stomach with her knee, and threw him behind her. He then landed outside the ring and attempted to strike her again, but failed. She then landed a hard blow on Shulk, knocking him into the invisible barrier, KO'ing him, and ending the match.

 _"_ _GAME!"_ The announcer shouted. He then declared:

" _The winner is: Lucina!_ "

"Wow, I guess your luck did hold out after all. Great match, Lucina." Shulk said as he and Lucina were teleported back to the Transporter Room.

"Thank you, Shulk. I must say, I've never fought anyone with a fighting style like yours. I was very impressed with your ability to keep me on my toes. I would very much like to do this again sometime." Lucina said.

"Sure, why not? I'm up for it whenever you are. So, what are you gonna do now?" Shulk asked.

"I believe I will go back to my room and relax for a little while. I might also look for my favorite mask. I cannot remember where I last put it." She replied.

"Mask? I don't think I've ever seen you wear a mask before, Lucina." Shulk said.

"I mostly used it to disguise my identity when I traveled back in time. However it got destroyed at one point and I picked up the pieces just to keep for sentimental reasons. But now, I seem to have misplaced it."

"Well, if you want, I can help you look. I got nothing better to do right now."

"Would you? Oh thank you, Shulk." Lucina said gratefully.

The two of them then made their way to Lucina's room. She then pulled out her room key and the two entered the room. There were two beds in the room, both of which were neatly made. Half of the room was covered in keepsakes Lucina had brought from home, such as a banner with Ylisse's official seal on it.

"Nice place you got here. I like the decorations you put up. Tell me, who is your roommate?" Shulk asked.

"Her name is Rosalina. She always travels about with a floating star like creature she calls a Luma."

"Cool. Anyway, what does your mask look like?"

"It is blue and resembles a butterfly. It also has three small eye slits on each side. I hope I can find it soon. It is one of my most treasured…"

"Is this it?" Shulk asked.

Lucina looked at Shulk and saw that he was indeed holding her prized mask in his hand. She was shocked that he had found it so quickly.

"Yes, that is it. Where was it?" She asked.

"Under your bed. It's usually the first place I look whenever I've lost something." Shulk replied.

"I thought I had finally gotten the underside of my bed organized." Lucina said to herself with a sigh.

"Well, I'm glad I was able to help." Shulk said, handing her the mask.

"Yes, thank you very much, Shulk." Lucina stated.

"Anyway, I best be going. I heard Little Mac wanted to ask me something earlier today, so I'm going to look for him. See ya later." Shulk said.

"Farewell, Shulk. Do come back sometime. I actually quite enjoy talking with you. You are always welcome to come in." Lucina responded.

"Alright, I will. Thanks, Lucina. Bye." Shulk said before leaving.

* * *

 **Shulk and Lucina attained support level A.**

 **I'm so sorry this took so long to come out, and that it wasn't my best work. I'll be honest, the main reason this took forever was because I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to do with this chapter by the time I started writing it. When that happens, I tend to lose motivation and not write to the best of my abilities. That's why this isn't exactly my best work. My thought process was 'I want Shulk and Lucina to learn a bit about each other's personalities.' That's why the first half of this chapter was just a collection of mini-stories. I was trying to show off the two lead's main personality traits, like Lucina's lack of a sense of humor, or the fact that Shulk's always willing to help others, even if he's the one who needs it. Also the fact that he's a bookworm. But I probably could have gone about that better. Also, real life events such as classes and work got in my way a lot. But again, I chock it up to not knowing what I wanted to do, so sorry.**

 **Fortunately though, I won't be having that problem for a little while. I have a very clear idea of what I want to do for the next two chapters. Hopefully that means I'll have them out sooner rather than later. After that, well who knows? I hate to admit this, I really do, but while I have several ideas for what I want to do with the upcoming chapters, I don't quite have enough to get the story done the way I want it to be done. With that said, and I really,** ** _really,_** **hope I never have to say this again for this story or any other ones I'm going to write in the future, some ideas for future chapters would be appreciated.**

 **Anyway, if you liked the chapter, let me know by giving me a review, follow, or favorite. If you didn't, again, I'm sorry, but I promise you the next chapter will be a lot better. But please, don't leave any hurtful or negative reviews. Please. I don't need that kind of crap.**

 **Next chapter, we're going to say hello to an old friend of one of our two main characters. Stay tuned to find out who. Chapter dismissed! Bring in the dancing lobsters.**


	5. Metal Face

**Welcome back, everyone! I hope you're ready for another great chapter of this story. I've got a lot of cool things in store for this chapter, and I hope you enjoy.**

 **Happy Halloween, everyone! In honor of this spooky holiday, I've dedicated this chapter to one of the most horrible monsters within Nintendo's library. Those of you who have played** ** _Xenoblade Chronicles_** **should know what I'm talking about. Let's get it on, shall we?**

 ** _Super Smash Bros._** **© Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai**

* * *

* _outside Lucina's room_ *

* _8:30 AM_ *

* * *

* _knock knock knock_ *

"Lucina, are you in there?" Shulk asked.

"Who is it?" She asked from behind the door.

"It's Shulk. I think I left the Monado in your room last night after our chat. Do you mind if I run in and grab it?" Shulk stated.

A few moments of silence passed before anything happened. Shulk was about to repeat his question, but then he felt something hit his foot. He slowly bent down to pick up whatever had brushed up against his foot. It was Lucina's room key.

"Enter." She said.

Shulk put the key in the lock and entered the room. Sure enough, he saw the Monado leaning up against the wall. He walked across the room and grabbed it, strapping it to his back. He then turned around and saw Lucina from behind grabbing a shirt and preparing to put it on. She appeared to have several strands of tape across her chest. Shulk immediately looked away.

"Whoa!" He shouted.

"Is something wrong?" She asked.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't know you were getting dressed!" Shulk said, still refusing to look at her.

Lucina looked down and realized the only thing on her upper body was her makeshift bra. She blushed a bright red and attempted to cover herself, even though her back was to Shulk. She quickly threw her shirt on and grabbed the rest of her uniform.

"Oh gods! Why did I let you come in?! You didn't… see anything, did you?" She asked.

"No, I didn't! I swear!" Shulk said.

Lucina calmed down slightly as she quickly put on the rest of her outfit. She then turned to face Shulk.

"It's alright, you can look now." Lucina reassured.

Shulk slowly turned to face her and sighed when he saw she was fully clothed.

"Lucina, I'm so sorry! I didn't know…" Shulk started.

"Enough. I suppose it is my own fault for allowing you to come in when I had no shirt on. As long as you saw nothing… explicit, I can let it go, just this once." Lucina stated.

"Don't worry, I didn't. I only saw you from the back, anyway." Shulk said.

"Good." Lucina replied as they walked out of her room together.

"If you don't mind me asking, was that… tape, across your chest?" Shulk asked.

"…Yes." She replied after a moment's hesitation.

"Well, why would you…?" He started.

Lucina had a pretty good idea what he was about to ask and cut him off.

"If you recall from my story, when I first arrived in the past, I had disguised myself as a man. In doing so, I had to hide anything that could… give me away as a woman. Even after I was discovered, I still kept doing it, perhaps out of habit. And I continue to do so, even now. Even if it makes me look not as beautiful as others like Zelda or Peach or, gods forbid, Samus. Now please, no more questions about my clothing, or I will get really mad."

"Alright. But… if it means anything to you… I don't think that way about you." Shulk said hesitantly.

"No?" Lucina inquired.

"No. And anyone who says otherwise is a damn fool who ought to be shown the business end of the Monado." Shulk said, hoping to boost her confidence.

Lucina actually found herself stifling a chuckle at the mental image of Shulk chasing Inigo around with his powerful blade. Once her little fantasy ended, she began speaking again.

"Anyway, shall we head to the main hall? I'm anxious to see this week's fighting schedule."

"Yeah, so am I. Let's go." Shulk responded.

It had been several months since the tournament first began, and Master Hand had announced that he would be bringing back a few functions from the previous tournaments, such as team fights. Once Shulk and Lucina made it to the main hall, they took a look at the week's fighting schedule.

"Let's see here. When do I fight next? Hmm. Oh! It looks like you and me are gonna have a fight together later today." Shulk exclaimed.

"Are we, now?" Lucina asked.

"Yeah, it's you 'n' me against Wario and Pikachu at… Alright! Gaur Plain!" Shulk said happily.

"Gaur Plain. Is this an area from your home world, Shulk?" Lucina inquired.

"Yeah. It's where I made the jump from my world to this one. Since I've been here, I've yet to actually fight there. I can't wait! It's gonna be at 5:00." Shulk said.

"Very well then, I shall see you at 5:00." Lucina said.

"See ya then." Shulk said as he and Lucina went their separate ways.

* * *

* _4:57 PM_ *

Shulk and Lucina were both standing just outside the Transporter Room waiting for their opponents to arrive. The schedule had said that this fight would be one stock match, so no one expected it to last that long. Still, it would be fun, all the same. Shortly thereafter, the two sword wielders saw a small yellow Pokémon come down the hallway toward them.

"Hey there, Pikachu. Ready for a fun match?" Shulk asked.

"Pika Pi!" The electric rodent said while nodding.

The three of them then stood waiting for Wario to show up. They waited for a solid 10 minutes until he finally made his way to the Transporter Room.

"So, you losers ready to get this over with or what?" Wario asked while picking his nose.

"Where were you? We were supposed to begin the match nearly 10 minutes ago." Lucina asked.

"Whatever. So, you ready to lose?" Wario replied.

"We'll see." Shulk said as he and everyone else stepped inside the Transporter Room.

The 4 combatants stood on individual platforms as they began to glow and send them to their destination.

* * *

* _in Gaur Plain_ *

Shulk and Lucina stood atop a large rock platform taking up nearly half the stage while Wario and Pikachu stood atop another rock platform of a similar length.

"This world has some… interesting rock formations, Shulk." Lucina said as she looked around.

"You think so?" Shulk asked.

Before their conversation could go any further, the battle announcer's voice began counting down to the fight.

 _3_

 _2_

 _1_

 _GO!_

The two sides immediately ran toward each other, ready for battle. Lucina jumped down onto a rectangular rock formation below one of the main rock platforms. Shulk, on the other hand, jumped onto the rock platform opposite the one he started out on. Wario and Pikachu immediately jumped after their opponents.

Lucina moved toward Wario and attempted to strike him, but he merely knocked her upward with his forehead. Shulk retaliated by jumping down next to Wario and knocking him skyward with the Monado. Both Wario and Pikachu jumped at the pair but Shulk jumped up, allowing Lucina a chance to attack. With one sword swing, she sent her two opponents flying in two separate directions. Wario fell back while Pikachu attempted to use his Skull Bash move. Unfortunately, it wasn't very effective, as Lucina dodged and Shulk's eyes began glowing. He also sidestepped the attack then swung the Monado behind him, sending Pikachu flying backwards a short ways. The two sword wielders jumped after the Pokémon as Wario also came toward them.

Wario tried attacking Shulk, but the blonde-haired fighter simply swung his sword, hitting both Wario and Pikachu, knocking them toward Lucina, who knocked them both upward with a swift strike of her sword. Wario jumped away from Lucina, heading toward Shulk, while Pikachu went toward Lucina again, only to get knocked onto one of the rock platforms.

Shulk then jumped up and ran after Pikachu while Lucina stayed behind to deal with Wario. She knocked the fat man a ways away with a powerful sword strike, but he recovered and jumped after her. Meanwhile, Pikachu ducked under Shulk to go after Lucina again, but Shulk pursued. The four of them danced around each other for some time until Lucina managed to knock Wario away from her again. While this was happening, Pikachu grabbed Shulk and sent a few volts of electricity through the Monado wielder's body. Wario jumped back up, then he grabbed Shulk by the collar and bashed his skull against Shulk's. Shulk escaped Wario's grasp and swung the Monado at the ground below the overweight fighter, knocking him back. Pikachu was also caught in the attack, as he had attempted to get a decent hit in on Lucina.

"This is going pretty well so far, wouldn't you say?" Shulk asked his partner.

"I would, Shulk. But we cannot stop now. We must press forward." Lucina replied.

The two teams jumped around each other for a few seconds, with no one landing a decent hit on anyone from the opposing team. Until at last, Shulk swung the Monado at the opposing pair, sending them back while he and Lucina jumped on top of one of the rock platforms.

They all met up again, and immediately Lucina sent a stab toward Wario's feet. He quickly jumped back up, however, and hit Shulk and Lucina skyward by throwing his hands skyward. They responded by swinging their swords at their opponents, throwing the both of them about halfway across the stage. Pikachu and Wario recovered and prepared to attack again. Pikachu sent a lighting ball in their direction, but it missed. Once they landed in front of the two sword users, they were quickly knocked away by Lucina again, but not before both she and Shulk were shocked by Pikachu.

In an attempt to keep both of them off Lucina, Shulk jumped toward the other side of the stage, hoping to get one of his enemies to follow him. It worked, as Wario came after him, leaving Lucina alone with Pikachu.

Pikachu grabbed Lucina and shocked her a few times before she escaped his grasp. Meanwhile, Shulk managed to throw Wario up to the rock platform at the top of the stage, then jumped up to pursue. He then ran toward Wario, ready to strike him off the stage.

" _What do you lot think you're doing, then?_ "

Shulk froze dead in his tracks and his blood ran cold at the sound of this voice. He would know that voice anywhere. It was a voice that he had hoped to never hear again. A voice he thought was silenced a long time ago. This wasn't possible. How could _he_ of all people be here? How could this be? How could this be?!

Shulk turned around and his fears were confirmed. Right before him stood an extremely large mechanical beast. The same one that had attacked his colony, killed several innocents, including his good friend Fiora, supposedly. Before him stood the Mechon called Metal Face, also known as Mumkhar.

" _There we go._ " Mumkhar said as he perched between the two rock platforms.

Lucina, Wario, and Pikachu didn't know what to make of this new arrival, but they all agreed that he looked absolutely terrifying and was probably not going to be friendly. Lucina looked over at Shulk and saw only a look of terror on his face, which only led her suspicions to grow.

Pikachu approached the metal monstrosity, readying an electric attack. But as soon as he got close, Metal Face swiped his massive claw at the little Pokémon, injuring the poor creature and sending him flying across the stage, until he hit the invisible barrier with a shriek of pain.

" _Come near my claws and you might get a nasty surprise._ " Metal Face said.

"Wah! Screw this! I'm getting out of here!" Wario said as he cowered as far away from the Mechon as he could.

Shulk continued to stare in shock and horror as Lucina came up right next to him.

"Shulk, are you alright? What is that thing?" She asked.

Shulk ignored her and pointed the Monado at Metal Face, then screamed:

"You! What are you doing here?! How are you here?!"

Metal Face turned to look at Shulk, and as soon as he saw the Monado wielder, he stared at the boy for some time.

" _If it isn't the puny boy himself! You miss me?_ " Mumkhar taunted.

"No! How are you here?! You died! I saw you die at Sword Valley! We saw your remains on the Fallen Arm!" Shulk screamed.

" _I dunno about the specifics, but I got brought back to life by some big, floating hand. He told me I could live again, and all I had to do was stir up some trouble amongst you puny fighters. Fair trade, if you ask me._ " Mumkhar explained.

"Master Hand! But… why?" Shulk muttered to himself.

"Shulk? Is this one of those creatures from…? What was it? Mack-ohn-nys?" Lucina asked.

"You mean Mechonis? And yes, that is a Mechon. But not just any Mechon, that's the same one that betrayed his entire race to Mechonis, attacked my colony, killed so many innocent people, including Fiora. That's Mumkhar!" Shulk shouted.

Lucina's eyes widened with shock. She had remembered what Shulk said about Mumkhar while telling his tale. All the horrible things he had done, the selfish reasons he had done them, and how he had done them from inside a giant machine. She didn't know what that meant at the time, but now she understood.

"You mean to say that there is a person inside that… thing?" She asked.

"Yes." Shulk answered.

" _Aww. Has Monado Boy gone and found himself a new girlfriend? No matter, I'll squish her like a bug while you watch, then use that ugly sword of hers to scrape the gunk off of my machine._ " Mumkhar said.

"How dare you insult me and Falchion in such a manner! Face me, monster!" Lucina shouted.

She ran across the rock platform toward Metal Face. Shulk was about to attack Metal Face himself, but suddenly his eyes began to glow.

He was having a vision.

* * *

 _Lucina continued to run toward Metal Face, raising her sword for a strike. As she ran, Metal Face reared back one of his claws, preparing to use it against Lucina. Unfortunately, Lucina didn't seem to notice this._

 _"_ Let's see if you can hit me, girl. I doubt you can make the CUT! _" Mumkhar said as Lucina came at him._

 _At that last word, Mumkhar swiped his claw at Lucina._ _She screamed in agony as the claws cut deep into her flesh. She dropped her sword as she was thrown to the side and fell into the abyss below. She had three deep cuts across her body and one across her face, each one spurting large amounts of her blood. Metal Face's claws were also tainted a deep crimson red._

* * *

Shulk was returned to reality as the vision ended. He then looked ahead at Lucina, who was still running.

"Lucina, wait! No! STOP!" He shouted.

Lucina continued to run toward Metal Face, raising her sword for a strike. As she ran, Metal Face reared back one of his claws, preparing to use it against Lucina. Unfortunately, Lucina didn't seem to notice this.

" _Let's see if you can hit me, girl. I doubt you can make the CUT!_ " Mumkhar said as Lucina came at him.

At that last word, Mumkhar swiped his claw at Lucina. Fortunately, it never hit her. It was blocked by the Monado's blade. Shulk had managed to run past her and block the fatal blow with the help of his Speed Art.

" _Don't you ever stay out the way?!_ " Mumkhar shouted.

"Never! I'll never back down as long as one of my friends is in danger!" Shulk replied.

" _So be it. Let's pick up where we left off, shall we?_ " The Mechon said.

With that, he flew a few feet into the air readying another attack. He then came crashing back down, burying his claws deep into the ground. Shulk and Lucina just barely managed to dodge the attack. Metal Face pulled his claws out of the ground and faced the duo again.

" **Stop right there!** " An unseen voice boomed.

Shulk and Lucina recognized the voice as that of Master Hand. Shulk was hoping for an explanation as to why one of his biggest enemies was here, especially since Mumkhar stated that Master Hand was responsible for his resurrection.

" **Your orders were to only attack the fighters when they got close to you, and to refrain from using any lethal blows. Not to pursue them and actively try to kill them. Stand down, now. Otherwise the deal is off, Metal Face.** " Master Hand commanded.

" _Oh, shove it, you stupid glove! I'm through taking orders from you! I'm gonna start doing things my way now! Starting with finishing what I started with Monado boy here._ " Mumkhar said.

With that, Metal Face brought one of his massive claws down on Shulk, who blocked them with the Monado's red blade. He then pushed the claw off of him and went on the offensive. He swung the Monado at Metal Face's arm, but the Mechon retracted his arm.

Lucina ran under Metal Face and stood behind his legs. She then swung Falchion at the back of his leg, creating a sizeable cut. The cut sparked and cackled with electrical energy as Metal Face shrieked and was forced down on one knee.

"How did you do that?! The only weapon from Bionis that can hurt Mechon is the Monado!" Shulk asked.

"I'm not from Bionis, Shulk." Lucina reminded.

Metal Face got back up and faced Lucina. He swiped a claw at her, but she deflected it with a swing of her sword. She then began swinging her sword in a series of movements, starting with a hard blow, then a quick cut, and ending with a series of jabs. Mumkhar screeched in pain as the attack hit.

" _You'll pay for that!_ " He shouted.

He prepared another claw strike, aiming at Lucina once again. But at that moment, Shulk ran forward and intercepted the attack with the Monado. He then activated his Buster Art and swung at Metal Face's arm, causing serious damage. He then jumped up and hit Metal Face in the chest twice.

"Air Slash!" Shulk yelled as he attacked.

Mumkhar was knocked back by the attack, but recovered and swiped both claws at Shulk. He was knocked across the ground by the attack until he stopped near the stage's barrier.

"Shulk!" Lucina called worriedly.

She then approached Metal Face, sword gripped tight in her grasp. The large Mechon brought both sets of claws down on her, but she rolled out of the way both times and swung her sword at Metal Face. She then blocked another blow from him, keeping his massive claw at a distance with Falchion. He was about to run her through with his other claw, but at that moment, Shulk came back in and knocked the claw away. He then swung the Monado right at the base of Metal Face's arm.

" _You're gonna pay for that, boy!_ " Mumkhar shouted.

Metal Face proceeded to fly into the air and charge up the laser on top of his head. Mumkhar then pointed the laser at the two warriors below him.

"Lucina, watch out!" Shulk shouted.

Metal Face then fired his laser down below. At the last second, Shulk pushed Lucina out of the way. The laser hit the edge of the rock platform and completely blew it away. Fortunately, Lucina and Shulk were unharmed.

"Are you OK?" Shulk asked as he and Lucina got to their feet.

"I'm fine. Look out!" She shouted.

Metal face came back down on them, hard. The two of them just barely managed to avoid being crushed by Metal Face's large legs. They quickly regained their composure and attacked once again.

Shulk jumped up and landed a blow on Metal Face's mechanical wing, seriously damaging it. While this was happening, Lucina swiped her sword at Metal Face's abdomen before running under his legs to attack from behind. Shulk continued his attack by swinging the Monado at Metal Face's back with another Air Slash. Shulk then gripped his Monado and went through his Arts before finding the desired one.

"Jump!" He shouted.

Metal Face tried to swipe his massive claws at Shulk again, but the Monado wielder simply jumped out of the way. Once he landed, he jumped incredibly high into the air, completely soaring over Metal Face's head. He then jumped up again and brought the Monado down on the engines on Metal Face's back.

"Back Slash!" Shulk yelled as he performed the attack.

As soon as the Monado made contact with Metal Face, time seemed to stop for a split second. A series of explosions then surrounded Metal Face as the machine began to buckle and come apart.

" _This ain't how it's meant to go!_ " Mumkhar screamed as his machine kept exploding.

Mumkhar continued to scream as his Mechon began falling into the abyss below. Shulk and Lucina merely looked on as they saw the mechanical monstrosity fall.

"Phew. Glad that's over." Shulk said as he was catching his breath.

"So am I. Shulk, might I ask you what exactly that… Gah!" Lucina shouted.

Shulk turned around and saw that Lucina had been kicked in the back by Wario, who had finally come out of his hiding spot now that Metal Face was gone.

"That was a dirty trick, Wario!" Shulk angrily shouted.

"Please. Whoever accused me of playing fair?" Wario replied.

Wario immediately grabbed Shulk by the collar and punched him in the face no less than three times. He then threw Shulk behind him. Shulk responded by grabbing Wario's shirt, hitting him in the head with the Monado's handle, then slicing him with the powerful blade. The attack almost got Wario to hit the stage's invisible barrier. However, the fat man got up and kept on attacking.

Lucina tried swinging her sword at Wario, but he dodged by jumping off the rock platform and onto the rectangular rock formation below. Unfortunately for him, Shulk was waiting for him down there. Shulk jabbed the Monado at Wario, hitting him with both the red and blue blades. The attack sent Wario flying more than halfway across the stage. Wario landed on his back as Shulk and Lucina pursued him.

Wario managed to avoid several of their attacks and finally managed to land a decent blow himself, punching Lucina in the face. Shulk landed a follow up attach, quickly followed by another one from Lucina. Wario was again almost KO'd, but remained on the stage.

He got back onto the undamaged rock platform and again punched Shulk away from him, but then Lucina came in and grabbed him. She kneed him in his overweight stomach a few times before throwing him to the side. She followed him and attempted to knock him off the stage once and for all. However, Wario dodged the attack and hit her with a spinning attack, which knocked her into the invisible barrier, KO'ing the blue haired warrior.

"Lucina!" Shulk cried worriedly as his friend disappeared.

With only Shulk and Wario left, the battle was about to come to an end and they both knew it. Wario ran away from Shulk as fast as he could, since he knew he was at a major disadvantage. However, Shulk eventually caught up and swung the Monado at him. Unfortunately, he missed and Wario took the opportunity to counterattack. He punched Shulk in the gut and jaw, knocking him up and on top of the damaged rock platform. Wario jumped after him, thinking he finally had Shulk on the ropes. However, Shulk simply swung the Monado behind him, hitting Wario square in the stomach. The attack launched Wario all the way into the invisible barrier, KO'ing Wario and finally ending the match.

" _GAME!_ " The battle announcer declared.

" _The winners are: Shulk and Lucina!_ " The announcer said.

* * *

As soon as everyone was back in the Transporter Room, the first thing Shulk did was run over to Lucina, who looked exhausted and ready to collapse from the battle with both Metal Face and the two Smashers.

"Lucina! Are you OK? You alright?" Shulk asked.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I'll be alright." Lucina answered in between breaths.

Wario, ever a sore loser, went over to Shulk and Lucina.

"Hmph! I hope you know you only won because that stupid robot…" Wario started.

"MASTER HAND!" Shulk angrily shouted, completely ignoring Wario.

On cue, Master Hand himself came into the room. Wario left in a huff as the large hand went over to Shulk and Lucina.

"I suppose I have some explaining to do." Master Hand said sheepishly.

"Yes, you do! What was that all about back there?! How is Mumkhar alive?! Why did you bring him back?! Why did you ever think making a deal with him would be a good idea?! He tried to kill us!" Shulk shouted.

"Alright, alright. Calm down, please. To answer your questions, yes, I did bring Mumkhar back to life. I did the same to a few other major enemies of some Smashers here. I wanted to make a few of the stages a little more exciting. I told him that if he would only attack others when they attacked him and didn't use any killing blows, he could stay alive. And for a time, it worked out. I didn't think he would break this deal even if he saw his biggest enemy, you. Now I see that I should have kept him on a shorter leash. I should have realized that he wasn't simply a robot that could be reprogramed like the Yellow Devil or a mindless beast like Ridley. I am deeply, truly sorry to the both of you for putting you in this position. This is meant to be a tournament of fun, not one of life and death. As a token of apology, the both of you will be excused from all fights for the rest of the month, with pay. I'll also repair the damage done to Gaur Plain, and make sure Metal Face is gone for good. He'll not ever be part of that stage again, I swear it." Master Hand said.

Shulk was still unhappy over the whole situation, but decided to accept Master Hand's apology and move on from the whole thing.

"Is Pikachu alright?" Lucina said, finally speaking up.

"As soon as he was knocked out by Metal Face, I had him brought to the Mansion's medical wing. Dr. Mario is treating him now. He should be fine. And again, I'm sorry for this whole thing." Master Hand said before floating off.

Once he was gone, Shulk and Lucina slowly walked out of the Transporter Room.

"You sure you're fine, Lucina?" Shulk asked.

"Yes. I'll be fine, don't worry. But I do have several questions about that creature we faced." She replied.

"Like what?" Shulk said.

"Well…"

* * *

 **Another chapter come and gone. Hooray for me!**

 **What great timing for me to get this out. A chapter about a big metal monster published on a day celebrating monsters. I honestly didn't think I'd have this chapter done by now. But here we are. I only hope the next chapter comes out before the next big holiday.**

 **Speaking of, the next chapter will involve some visitors coming to the Smash Mansion. What visitors, you might ask? Well, stay tuned to find out.**

 **If you liked this chapter, show your support by dropping a follow, favorite, or review my way. I'd greatly appreciate it. I would also appreciate a lack of negative or hurtful comments.**

 **Until next time, see you later. Have a happy Halloween, folks! BOO!**


	6. Family Day

**Good greetings to all of you. I trust that the day is treating you well? Good. Shall we commence with another chapter? Alright then, let's begin.**

 **ZachaRicO: Thank you. I'm glad you liked the fight scene. Writing for Metal Face wasn't the easiest thing in the world. I made a lot of that up off the top of my head. Also, I agree with you about Lucina's outfit, and I believe Shulk feels the same, that's what I was trying to convey. I actually almost put a line from him in the chapter where he calls Lucina pretty. But I cut it at the last minute because I felt it was a little unrealistic, since they're just friends at this point. I was afraid of moving their relationship too fast.**

 **Let the reading commence!**

 ** _Super Smash Bros._** **© Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai.**

* * *

* _Smash Mansion living room_ *

* _noon_ *

* * *

"And that's how I defeated the big Red Bulborb." A tiny astronaut called Olimar said.

"Nice story." A child named Ness replied.

"Yeah, sounds really impressive." Shulk said.

The three Smashers were currently relaxing in the living room of the mansion, entertaining each other with stories of their respective home worlds. All this talk of home was beginning to make Shulk feel a little homesick, but he hid it well as he listened to his friend's stories.

"Say, Olimar? You excited for next week?" Ness asked.

"Oh yes. It's been forever since I've seen them. It'll be great to see them again." Olimar replied.

"Next week? What's happening next week?" Shulk asked.

"Oh, c'mon, you know. … Wait, you don't know? Did Master Hand never tell you?" Ness asked.

Shulk merely shrugged.

"One week from today, it will have been one year since this tournament started." Olimar explained.

"Really? That's nice. So what, is there some sort of celebration or something?" Shulk asked.

"Yes. Every year on the anniversary of the tournament's start, Master Hand lets us invite up to 3 friends or family members from home to come to the mansion so we can spend the day with them. It's meant to keep us from getting too homesick. I remember it started back during the second tournament." Ness explained.

Shulk was shocked at hearing this. The thought of being able to see some of friends again seemed too good to be true. All this time, he had thought it would be years before he ever saw anyone from his home again. He immediately thought about who he should invite to the mansion.

He would of course invite his best friend Reyn over. Shulk had missed hanging out with his old friend. And although Shulk would never admit this, he desperately wanted to see Reyn's reaction to some of the Smashers here, like Sonic or the Pokémon. He was sure to put on quite a shocked face at some of these strange looking creatures.

Shulk also decided to invite his good friend and mentor Dunban to the mansion. He had always looked up to Dunban as an older brother figure, and was anxious to tell him about all his triumphs since coming to the Smash Mansion. That left the question of who should the last invite go to.

Fiora, perhaps? " _No_." Shulk decided. Even though their breakup had been almost a year ago, Shulk wasn't sure if he was ready to openly talk with her again, lest they both end up turning into awkward messes.

What about Sharla? Nah, she was probably too busy helping to rebuild Colony 6 after it's destruction by both the Mechon and the Telethia. Plus, she still had to look over her younger brother.

Maybe Melia? Probably not. Whereas Sharla had to look after a colony and her brother, Melia had to look after her entire people. Shortly after the war with Zanza ended, she announced that she would be taking her rightful place as Empress of her race, the High Entia. She would most likely be neck deep in Imperial duties and would be unable to tear herself away from them, even for a day.

That left Riki. " _Why not?_ " Shulk thought. After the defeat of Zanza, Riki had returned to his village to live a quiet life with his wife and children. As far as Shulk was aware, the Nopon hero really didn't have any pressing matters that required his attention like Sharla or Melia. Plus, Riki did spend much of his free time visiting his old friends. It would probably make Riki really happy to be able to see Shulk again.

It was decided, Shulk would have Reyn, Dunban, and Riki come to the mansion in one week's time.

* * *

Later that night, at dinner, Shulk met up with Lucina once again and told her what he had heard from the other Smashers. Lucina was practically bounding with excitement at Shulk's announcement.

"Really?! That's wonderful! I would love to see my family again! I cannot wait to show them the Mansion!" Lucina said.

"So do you know who you're inviting?" Shulk asked.

"Oh yes! I'll be asking my father, mother, and sister to come. It's going to be so nice to see them again. And I know father will enjoy seeing Robin again. Robin! I must go tell him about this at once!" Lucina said before running off.

As soon as she found Robin, she wasted no time explaining what Shulk had told her.

"I see. Well, that will be a most pleasant treat, indeed. I only wonder who I should ask to come. I know I'll want Say'ri and Morgan to come, but who should my third one be? Chrom, perhaps?" Robin mused.

"No. I'm already inviting father over. As well as mother and Cynthia." Lucina said.

"I should have guessed. In that case… ah! I know!" Robin said.

* * *

* _one week later_ *

All of the Smashers were currently waiting outside the main entrance of the Smash Mansion. The day had finally come for their loved ones to visit the mansion. After the newcomers had finalized with Master Hand who they wanted to come, they were told that they would be arriving the same way they did, by a magic portal just outside the mansion's entrance. They all waited with barely contained excitement until a series of portals opened up right in front of the Smashers. Everyone's eyes scanned the crowd of incoming people, looking for those they cared for. Eventually, Lucina saw two heads of blue hair and one of brown.

"Father! Mother! Cynthia!" She cried out.

Lucina then ran up to her parents and sister as they heard her voice and saw her running up to them excitedly. The two parents embraced their future daughter as Cynthia hugged her from behind.

"I've missed you all so much!" Lucina said.

"We've missed you too, Lucina. We were so happy when we got that letter asking us to come here for the day." Chrom said.

"Wow. So this is where you live now?" Sumia asked, gesturing to the mansion.

"It is, mother. You must come see what it looks like inside. It's amazing." Lucina replied.

"Wow! I bet there are so many legendary heroes here! Let's go!" Cynthia stated before running toward the mansion.

The rest of the Exalted family then began walking toward the mansion themselves. (But not before Sumia tripped and fell flat on her face.)

* * *

Shulk looked around the crowd, trying to find a familiar face. After a solid minute, he finally found one.

"Reyn!" He shouted.

The man in question turned and saw Shulk approaching him. He quickly embraced his best friend in a tight hug. Dunban then came along and put a hand on Shulk's shoulder and gave him a friendly smile. Riki then came up and jumped on Shulk's shoulders.

"Riki very happy to see Shulk! Is Shulk happy to see Riki?" The Nopon asked.

"I am, Riki. I'm happy to see all of you!" Shulk exclaimed.

"How ya been, man? It's been too long." Reyn said.

"It most certainly has, Shulk. How has the tournament been so for? Are you succeeding?" Dunban asked.

"I've been doing pretty well for myself. Tournament's been great, I've made a lot of money from my fights." Shulk said.

"Is that so? Well, I'm glad to hear it. I must say, this place looks amazing. I've never seen such a large building before." Dunban said.

"Just wait 'til you see what it's like inside. Shall we go in?" Shulk offered.

"Heck yeah! I wanna check this place out. Come on, you lot. Let's get a move on." Reyn said before heading toward the mansion.

* * *

"Wow. This place is much bigger than I expected." Chrom said as he looked around the main hall.

"I thought the same thing at first, father. It took me a long time to figure out how to navigate this place." Lucina said.

"Are you sure you're comfortable here, dear?" Sumia asked.

"Oh yes, mother. I've grown used to being here. Just wait until you see the rest of the mansion. Come, I'll show you around." Lucina offered.

With that, she showed her family around the Smash Mansion, stopping at all the hot spots and explain how the tournament went. Cynthia couldn't help but be awed by all the new sights and people around the mansion. By the way Lucina talked about it, this sounded like a very prestigious tournament that only the best were invited to, and it made Chrom happy and proud that his daughter and best friend came here. Sumia, however, was slightly worried. Seeing all these strange looking creatures and being surrounded by unfamiliar technology made her uncomfortable and concerned that this wasn't a safe place for her daughter to be. She hoped Lucina would prove her wrong.

Eventually, the family found themselves outside the Transporter Room. Lucina stopped to explain.

"This is where the majority of the tournament takes place. In this room, we are teleported to whatever world our tournament fight will take place in. I must admit, I never would have imagined that the home worlds of some of the others here would be so unique."

"I see. And what is this room here, Lucina?" Chrom asked, pointing to a smaller door not far from the doors to the Transporter Room.

"Everyone calls that the 'Spectator Room'. It is in here that we can watch a match that's currently going on. It's actually quite entertaining." Lucina explained.

"Ah. Very interesting." Chrom said.

Lucina then took a peek inside the Spectator Room. She then looked at her family and said:

"It seems as though there is a match going on right now. Would you like to see?"

"Oh yes! I wanna see some of the fighters here! This is gonna be so cool!" Cynthia exclaimed.

With that, the entire family entered the Spectator Room and sat down to watch the match. There were a few others also present watching the match. Lucina guessed that they were the visiting family members of the ones currently fighting. The Exalted family saw a man in overalls and a green shirt fighting a large, orange, dragon-like creature. The dragon grabbed the green one, threw him to the ground, and breathed fire on him before letting him go.

"Oh my. That certainly must have hurt. I'm not certain Luigi stands a chance. It didn't end so well for me last time." Lucina said.

"Y-you've fought that massive thing before?! Has it hurt you? How could they let a beast like that in the tournament?" Sumia asked.

"Relax, mother. Charizard is not as ferocious as he initially appears. Outside of battle, he's actually quite docile." Lucina reassured.

Sumia was still very uncertain, but kept quiet for the rest of the battle. Once it was over, Lucina led her family to other parts of the mansion.

* * *

"Here we have the mess hall. This is where we get all our food." Shulk said, gesturing to the large room before him.

"Alright! I could use me some grub." Reyn said as he ran into the room.

The rest of the Bionis residents walked into the room to get a quick bite. Reyn and Riki were somewhat weirded out by all the strange and weird foods from all the strange and weird worlds. They stuck to foods that came from Bionis. Dunban, however, was a little more open, and tried something from one of the other worlds. Shulk also tried something not from his world, although he was used to it by now.

"I must say, this is a very interesting meal. I've never tasted anything quite like it." Dunban stated, taking a bite of the Hylian dish.

"Say what ya want, man, but that… thing, don't look right to me." Reyn said, pointing to Dunban's food. He then followed it up with another question.

"How did you ever manage to stomach things like that, Shulk?"

"It's a bit of an acquired taste, but a lot of it isn't half bad, actually." Shulk said as he took a bite of his own food.

"Reyn right! Riki not like Dundun's food! It look like nasty Orluga." Riki said.

Skulk and Dunban could only sigh and roll their eyes.

As they continued eating their food, Shulk explained some of the ins and outs of the tournament. All his friends listened intently as Shulk talked, occasionally asking a question. Some of the things about the tournament left the Bionis residents very surprised.

"So tell me, Shulk. What are the other competitors here like?" Dunban asked.

"What's that, Dunban?" Shulk asked.

"I said: What are the others at this mansion like? You've spoken much of how the tournament works, as well as your own personal triumphs. However, I want to know about your competition. What are the others here like? Are they like you? How do they fight? What are they like outside of combat?"

"Oh. Well… let me tell you, they've got a real interesting lot here. Never before coming here would I have ever imagined that such strange looking creatures ever existed. And as strange as they look, the things some of them can do are even weirder. It's true, some of 'em are like me, just swinging around a sword or some other weapon, but as for the others… wow. It took me a while to get used to all their fighting moves. I still haven't, for some of 'em. But when we're not fighting, they're a real nice lot. I think some of my closest friends here at the mansion would be Little Mac, Olimar, and… maybe Lu…"

"WHAT ON BIONIS IS _THAT?!_ " Reyn screamed, interrupting Shulk.

The other Bionis residents looked to where Reyn was pointing. Dunban's eyes widened, and Riki jumped behind Reyn. They were all staring at a small, pink, puffball with wide eyes.

"Oh, sorry, Kirby. My friends here have just never seen someone like you before. They didn't mean any offense." Shulk said.

Kirby just gave a cute little sound of acknowledgement before continuing on his way. Once he was gone, Reyn turned back to Shulk.

"What the hell _was_ that thing, man?"

"We call him Kirby. We're not sure what species he is, exactly, but he comes from a clan of warriors from the stars." Shulk explained.

"He certainly doesn't look like a warrior. He looks more like one of those plush dolls I gave to Fiora when she was just a baby." Dunban said.

"Heh. Well, don't let his looks fool you. He's actually one of the strongest fighters here. If I told you half the things he's capable of doing, you'd swear I was mental." Shulk countered.

"You serious, mate? Thing looks more like a hairless Nopon than any kind of fighter." Reyn commented before being hit upside the head by Riki.

"Oh, don't worry, there's a lot more weird things in store. Let's get moving, shall we?" Shulk said.

* * *

Lucina continued to show her family around the mansion. She was now just outside the small gym where the fighters could practice their skills outside of the usual tournament fights.

"This is an impressive looking training area, Lucina. Much more advanced that the training grounds back in Ylisse. Wouldn't you say, Sumia?" Chrom asked.

Sumia didn't respond. She only looked around with an uncomfortable expression on her face.

"Sumia?"

"Huh? Oh. It's… um… nice, Chrom." She replied.

"Mother? Is something wrong?" Lucina asked.

"Look, it's just… All this strange technology, all these weird looking creatures, the stories you tell about this place. It's all a little overwhelming. I'm worried this isn't a good place for you, dear. What if you get hurt by one of these people? What if you find you don't like it here but can't come home? What if something else happens to you here?" Sumia asked.

"Mother, I appreciate the concern, and I'm sorry for making you worry, but I believe I'm just fine here. I've made great progress in the tournament and I've made some great friends here." Lucina said.

"Lucina's right, Sumia. I believe she is tremendously blessed to be competing in a tournament such as this. I don't think she would have been asked here if they didn't think she wasn't fit to compete." Chrom said to his wife.

Chrom then crashed into someone and almost pushed him to the ground. Chrom regained his composure and faced the man he ran into.

"My apologies, sir. I was just…"

"Impudent vermin! You dare insult the great King of Evil in this manner!? Your punishment shall be merciless beyond…"

"ENOUGH! I will not allow you to insult my father's honor in this way, Ganondorf! I will settle this with you myself! Tomorrow at 4 o'clock, at the Transporter Room." Lucina said to the large man Chrom had crashed into.

"Very well then. Prepare yourself, for this battle will be your undoing, little girl." Ganondorf said before leaving in a huff.

"…On second thought, perhaps you're right, Sumia. Maybe this isn't the best place for Lucina if people like that also live here." Chrom admitted.

"You needn't worry, father. While Ganondorf is one of the… more volatile people here, there are much more kind people here than not. Master Hand himself said this was meant to be a tournament of fun, not life and death." Lucina explained.

"Well I think it was super cool how you put that big bully in his place, Lucina! Now, is there any more of the mansion? I wanna see more!" Cynthia exclaimed.

"Very well, Cynthia. How about we try and find Robin? I know you would very much like to see him again, father." Lucina offered.

"Oh, yes! It's been too long since I've seen him. Please, lead the way, Lucina." Chrom said.

* * *

"This is one awesome place, Shulk! How'd a bloke like you get invited to a place like this?" Reyn asked.

"Well, might be because I'm too cool for a place like this to ignore." Shulk joked.

"Oh yeah, sure. Ain't got nothin' to do with the fact that you killed a god and saved the world with the Monado." Reyn replied sarcastically.

Shulk and Reyn shared a laugh at their joke while Dunban and Riki looked on with amused looks on their faces.

"Heh. It's been too long since we've been able to do this, Reyn."

"Too right, mate. We all miss ya back home." Reyn replied.

"That reminds me. I wanted to ask earlier, how are things back on Bionis?" Shulk asked.

"Everything is going quite nicely. Colony 9 has finally been restored to its former glory thanks to the High Entia and the Machina." Dunban said.

"Melly and Bird People also help Riki and his village a lot." Riki chimed in.

"It's been real nice 'n' peaceful back home. Only wish my best friend were still there." Reyn said, putting a hand on Shulk's back.

"Don't worry, Reyn. This tournament won't last forever. Everyone's gonna go home at some point or another." Shulk reassured.

"I hope so, man. Say, it's starting to get kinda dark out. I wonder how much longer they're gonna let us stay here." Reyn commented.

" **Attention all visitors. Would you please make your way to the outside of the Smash Mansion. Family Day has come to an end. It is time for you to return to your home universes.** " Master Hand's voice boomed over an intercom.

"I suppose that is your answer, Reyn. Let us be on our way." Dunban commented.

With that, all the Bionis residents slowly began walking out of the mansion, finishing up the last of their conversations. Once they were outside, they saw several others walking through large portals back to their own separate home universes. Once they were right in front of the portal that would return them to Bionis, Reyn, Dunban and Riki turned to face Shulk.

"Well, I guess this is it, Shulk. Take care of yourself, mate. See ya next year, yeah?" Reyn said.

"Yeah. Can't wait, man. It's gonna be a blast." Shulk said.

"So long, Shulk. I look forward to when we next see each other again. I hope to hear more good things about your progress in this tournament." Dunban chimed in.

Shulk nodded with a smile before having Riki hop up on his shoulders.

"Riki will miss Shulk lots and lots! Riki hopes that Shulk will miss Riki the mostest."

"Ha. Of course I'll miss you, Riki. I'll miss all of you. So long, everyone. Tell everyone back home that I said ''ello', would ya?" Shulk asked.

"Of course we will. Goodbye, Shulk!" Reyn called.

After one last goodbye between Shulk and his friends, the three visitors walked through the portal back to their home. Once they were all through, the portal closed behind them, leaving Shulk alone. He gave off a small sigh as he turned around and walked back toward the Smash Mansion. He was sad that his time with his friends from home was over, but then he remembered that he would be seeing them again in due time. Until then, he had all his new friends here at the Smash Bros. Tournament to keep him company. Shulk then headed inside the mansion to head off to sleep and prepare for whatever fights he had the next day.

* * *

After a tender goodbye with her family, Lucina walked back inside the mansion for the evening. She was glad to have been able to see them again, even if only for one day. She was surprised that a whole year had already passed since the tournament began. She hoped the next year would pass just as quickly so she could see her family again. She walked through the main hall and was just about to head up the stairs.

"Ah! There you are! I've been looking for you all day."

Lucina froze dead in her tracks at the sound of this voice. Her blood ran cold as her face adopted a grimace.

"What are _you_ doing here?" She asked the speaker, refusing to look at him.

"I came here to see you, of course. This is a day for being with family and loved ones, I hear."

"I do _not_ recall inviting you here. How did you even get in?"

"I managed to sneak through that portal thing right after Chrom went through it. I'm surprised I wasn't caught, actually. I wanted to see you."

"Well, I do _not_ want to see you! Leave, now!"

"Oh, come on, Lucina. Is that any way for a lovely lady like yourself to talk to a dashing man like me?"

"I said LEAVE, Inigo!" Lucina shouted, finally facing him.

"Lucina, please. I just want to talk to you. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry." Inigo said.

Lucina looked right at Inigo, and saw only sorrow. It was rare for Inigo to not have some kind of big, goofy grin on his face, and it was even rarer that he spoke so seriously.

"I am _so_ sorry for everything I said that day. I never meant to hurt your feelings like that. I was just trying to hurt you because you hurt me. But I see now that I should have been better than that. I don't think you're annoying or uptight, and you have an amazing body. So please, can you ever forgive me? If you do, I promise I'll never so much as look at another woman again. I promise it'll be you and only you. Please, Lucina, forgive me. I love you, and only you." Inigo pleaded.

Lucina looked down on Inigo and considered his words. On the one hand, he had hurt her with his words when they broke up. He also broke the promise he made her when they first got together. Nothing would ever change that. But on the other hand, he had just given her a heartfelt apology. Never before had Lucina seen Inigo act like he truly was sorry. He seemed as though maybe this time, he really meant it. Could it be true? Lucina thought for a short while, then began speaking again.

"Very well, Inigo. If it means that much to you, I believe I can forgive you for the comments you made."

Inigo's face immediately got its signature grin back, and he walked toward Lucina, arms spread to embrace her. But to his surprise, she backed away before he could reach her.

"However, that does not mean I wish to resume our relationship. Just because I forgave you for saying such horrible things does not change the fact that you said them. You also promised me when we first got together that you would stop chasing other girls, and you didn't. I don't think I can take that chance again. I'm sorry. So we may start over, but merely as friends. You may chase any other girl you want, but not me." Lucina said.

"I-I don't understand, Lucina. Why not? Is it something else? Is it a trouble of distance? Is there another boy?" Inigo asked, saying that last part somewhat warily.

Lucina opened her mouth to answer, but before she could say anything, someone else spoke up.

"Oi! There you are, Lucina. I was lookin' for you. It's almost past curfew, and you know how Master Hand gets when we break it. I don't want you to get in trouble. Let's head upstairs, yeah?" Shulk said.

"I see. Thank you for your concern, Shulk. Let us be off to bed." Lucina replied.

With that, Lucina walked off with Shulk to the Mansion's upper levels. Inigo was left behind, before slowly turning around and walking out of the mansion with a sad expression on his face. He felt like things couldn't get any worse for him.

"HEY! Who are you?! You're not supposed to be here! You're in for a lot of punishment, you no good stowaway!" Master Hand shouted at Inigo.

* * *

 **Maybe not my most dramatic chapter, or the most well written, but whatever. They'll get better with time.**

 **I was really hoping to have this out a lot sooner than I did. Why didn't I? Well, the answer is writer's block, mostly. But, still, better late than never, am I right? In any case, I hope you found some enjoyment in this chapter. If not, well, please don't say anything negative. The first third of my stories is usually my weakest, but things will get better, I promise.**

 **Some other quick notes: My thought process while writing this chapter basically boils down to 'How would the loved ones of the Smashers react to the tournament?' I tried to make each reaction different depending on the person. I hope I did alright. Also, I intentionally left it ambiguous as to who the third person Robin invited was. You guys can put in any character from** ** _Awakening_** **you want.**

 **Coming up next on this story: I'm not entirely sure, to be perfectly honest. If you're wondering why that is, go back and read my closing author's notes from chapter 4. That should explain a few things.**

 **So, I'm not sure when I'll have the next chapter out, but I look forward to such time as it does come out, and I will catch you guys then. So long, and Happy New Year!**


	7. Illness

**Hello, one and all! I have returned once again to deliver to you another thrilling chapter of this story! Shall we begin?**

 **I was initially going to save this concept for a later chapter. However, I had a hard time coming up with an idea I liked for this one. So instead, I decided to just accelerate my plans. Let's hope I made a good choice in doing that.**

 **DuskAura: Glad you enjoyed the story. I hope you also enjoy what I put out in the future. Also, I've given a few of my future chapters some serious rethought so they won't turn out too similar. I hope you and everyone else finds them enjoyable.**

 **ZachaRicO: One thing you should know about me is I try my best to not be predictable. I really enjoy adding small twists and surprises to my stories. I've actually got one or two more planned for this story, so stay tuned.**

 **A bit of trivia for you: My initial plans for this story called for the infant Lucina to be Robin's third guest, so that Chrom and Sumia could still watch their daughter. But right before I began writing this story, I decided to abandon that concept. I felt it might make the older Lucina a bit uncomfortable to have to interact with her infant self. That's why I left it ambiguous.**

 **And in answer to your comment about Robin and Inigo: No, they were not especially close in the game. After I read your comment, I decided to read their in-game Support Conversation on YouTube, and I wasn't impressed. It was mostly just Inigo complaining about his failure with women to Robin, nothing that would indicate a close bond.**

 **Lastly, you think your second third is your weakest? Well, I suppose everyone's writing experience is different. I just so happen to think that the ideas I have for my second and third parts are stronger. Only time will tell if they really are. Not to indicate the first third doesn't have its moments, I just think they're not quite as strong. Same thing happened with my other stories.**

 **Anyway, I'm glad you liked the chapter and hope you like this one.**

 **Guest: Glad you liked the story. Here's your update.**

 **Alright, people, now that that's out of the way, let us commence with the reading, shall we?**

 **S** _ **uper Smash Bros. ©**_ **Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai**

* * *

* _Spectator Room_ *

* _4:00 PM_ *

* * *

Shulk was currently standing outside the Spectator Room, hoping for some entertainment. He didn't have any more fights to do that day, and a lot of the others were busy. So when he saw that there was a match currently going on, he decided to watch it. He saw that the combatants were Lucina and Ganondorf. They were fighting on a stage called 'Mario Circuit'. There were two stages with that name, and the match was being held on the older of the two. Shulk had heard that Lucina and Ganondorf had some sort of altercation the previous day while everyone's family and friends were visiting the mansion. This must have been their way of settling it.

When Shulk entered, it looked as though the match was just starting. He wondered who would win. He hoped it would be Lucina, as she was a good friend to him. He also thought that Lucina looked pretty amazing when she was fighting out there.

As soon as Shulk sat down, he saw the match begin. Lucina and Ganondorf ran toward each other, ready to attack. Ganondorf jumped up and tried to land a downward kick on her, but missed. Instead, he just landed on the race track that the stage took place on. He was then run over by one of the vehicles on the race track. 'Karts' as Mario called them.

Lucina jumped down after him and attempted to land a blow, but Ganondorf was faster. He grabbed her by the neck, then threw her to the ground in a blaze of purple fire. While she was down, Ganondorf attacked her again with a sliding kick, knocking Lucina back. He then grabbed her and kneed her in the stomach once before she escaped his grasp.

Lucina then ran behind Ganondorf and attempted to attack him from behind, but was stopped a powerful punch right to her face, knocking her back a ways. Lucina charged at him again, but he merely put her down with another punch. Lucina got up and swung her sword at him, actually landing a few hits on him. But Ganondorf quickly recovered and sent another magical jump kick her way. This kick hit her with enough force to send her skyward. When she landed, she again tried swinging her sword at him, and hit him once. However, this had little effect on him and he quickly retaliated. Another punch hit her in the face and caused Lucina to hit the stage's invisible barrier, resulting in the match's first KO.

When Lucina reappeared on the stage, she instantly went for Ganondorf. She swung Falchion downward at him, but missed. Ganondorf then kicked her, knocking her back a few feet. Lucina quickly recovered and ran into the fight again. She jumped over Ganondorf and swung her sword at him a few times, landing some solid hits. The two fighters then jumped off the top part of the stage to avoid the incoming karts. Ganondorf then attempted to use another slide kick against her but fell short of his target and stopped right in front of Lucina. She used this opportunity to swing her sword downwards at him, knocking him into the karts that were driving overhead. Ganondorf got hit by some of the oncoming karts and was knocked upwards.

Lucina jumped up after him and the two went at each other again. They both landed some solid blows on each other until Ganondorf grabbed her again and threw her to the ground. Once she recovered, the two danced around each other for a few seconds until Lucina landed a powerful sword swing. Ganondorf was thrown back and was almost hit by the karts again. However, he jumped down just in time, only to be grabbed by Lucina and thrown upwards again, right into the kart's path. Once they passed, Ganondorf fell to the ground where Lucina was waiting. A strong sword swing knocked Ganondorf into the invisible barrier, finally KO'ing him.

As soon as Ganondorf reappeared, he tried attacking her again with a powerful drop kick. However, he missed and was met with a sword stab from Lucina, knocking him to the ground. Once he got up, Ganondorf executed another slide kick, which hit Lucina, but put both of them in the path of the karts. Both combatants were hit by the small vehicles and were knocked upward.

Once they both landed, they continued their fight. Lucina send a sword swing Ganondorf's way, but this only knocked him back a small ways. Lucina was then hit in the face with one of Ganondorf's powerful punches. The attack nearly sent Lucina off the stage, but she recovered and got up. She then grabbed Ganondorf by the collar and kicked him in the stomach a few times before throwing him behind her. They were close enough to the edge that Lucina's throw caused Ganondorf to be KO'd.

As soon as he reappeared, Ganondorf immediately ran at Lucina again, but she kept him back with some precision sword swings. She then pushed him back even further with the same combination of sword swings. These swings knocked Ganondorf onto the race track once again. Lucina jumped up after him to attack, but Ganondorf intercepted her attack. He grabbed her, shocked her using dark electricity magic, and threw her into the stage's invisible barrier, KO'ing her.

As soon as she reappeared, Lucina went for Ganondorf again, but kept her distance as he tried once again to punch her. They danced around each other for some time until the karts passed overhead once again. These drew Lucina's attention away from Ganondorf, as she was still quite curious about these vehicles. Ganondorf took advantage of her distraction by sending a magic enhanced kick at her, knocking her back. However, Lucina quickly recovered from the attack and prepared one of her own.

Ganondorf quickly tried sending another powerful attack her way, but she dodged and followed up with a quick sword swing. This swing knocked Ganondorf onto the race track once again. Before he had a chance to recover, Lucina hit him again with two more sword swings, knocking him into the stage's invisible barrier, KO'ing him and ending the match.

" _GAME!_ " Cried the announcer.

" _The winner is: Lucina!_ " The announcer declared.

Inside the Spectator Room, Shulk was awed by the amazing match that he had just watched. He knew Lucina would win, he just knew it. He was amazed with the way she handled the Parallel Falchion. How she could be so fierce yet graceful at the same time. And how she looked so awe-inspiring when she fought with it. With these thoughts in mind, Shulk left the Spectator Room to go about his own business.

* * *

That night, at dinner, Shulk sat alone, eating his food in silence. He was lost in his own thoughts until someone came up to his table and sat down.

"Oh, hey, Lucina." Shulk greeted.

"Hello Shulk. I trust that the day has been treating you well." She replied.

"Pretty good. I saw your match with Ganondorf. Nice job."

"Thank you, Shulk. I do feel like I performed rather satisfactory in that fight." She replied before taking a sip of her drink.

"What do you have there, Lucina?" Shulk asked.

"This? Oh, it's just a very special tea brew from my homeland." She answered.

"You mind if I try a sip?"

"I suppose not. Here."

Lucina handed Shulk the cup and he started drinking from the cup. As soon as he took his final gulp, he immediately started coughing loudly.

"Shulk? Are you alright?" Lucina asked.

"D-don't worry. I'm f-fine." Shulk said while wheezing.

Lucina was not convinced, but didn't say anything else.

"What was in that tea, anyway?" Shulk asked.

"Well, as I said, it is a very special brew. There are numerous ingredients put into it. More than I could likely name. Why do you ask?"

"I think… * _cough_ * I think there was something in that tea that doesn't quite agree with me."

"Are you certain you're alright, Shulk?"

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure I'll be fine after I get some sleep. Speaking of, I best be heading in that direction. Night, Lucina."

With that, Shulk stood up and left the mess hall. Lucina noticed that Shulk was breathing heavily on his way out the door. She felt like that wasn't a good sign, but against her better judgement, she decided to ignore this and go to bed herself.

* * *

That night, Shulk did not sleep very well. His stomach kept churning in a violent fashion, and his body was covered in a cold sweat. Halfway through the night, it became clear to him that he would not be getting much sleep, if any.

The next morning, Shulk's stomach was feeling worse than the day before. As soon as he got his breakfast, he immediately disregarded it. He felt as if he put a single thing into his stomach, he would instantly throw it back up. He just left his food sitting there in front of him as Lucina came and sat in front of him.

"Good day, Shulk. I hope that you are feeling better than you were yester… Shulk! You look even more ill than yesterday! What happened?!" She screamed.

Shulk had indeed grown paler than the day before and he looked as though he would pass out at any given moment. Despite this, he kept trying to push on.

"D-don't worry, Lucina. * _pant_ * I might not feel my best right now, * _pant_ * b-but I can still push on. * _pant_ * I'm s-sure I'll feel fine after I get some exercise during my first match today. * _pant_ * S-speaking of, I best be heading over there now. * _pant_ * See ya, Lucina." Shulk said before getting up.

As Shulk slowly walked out of the mess hall, Lucina noticed that he hadn't taken a single bite out of his breakfast. This only made her concern for her friend grow. She quickly finished her own food and ran off for the Spectator Room.

* * *

Shulk was squaring up for a battle against R.O.B on a stage called Norfair. R.O.B stood on the left side of the stage, while Shulk stood on the right. Shulk was clearly in no shape to fight, as his stance was poor, he could barely lift the Monado, and he kept swaying from side to side. Even an artificial creature like R.O.B could tell that something was wrong with Shulk.

"Analysis: Shulk appears to be in a weakened state. Query: Are you ill, Shulk?" R.O.B asked.

"N-no worries. I'm fine." Was Shulk's response.

"Conclusion: There is a 98.46% probability that statement is incorrect. Recommendation: Seek medical help."

"Look, I'll be f-fine. Can we just get started already?"

"Statement: If that is your desire, then let the battle commence."

 _3_

 _2_

 _1_

 _GO!_

Shulk weakly tried making his way toward R.O.B to begin the fight. However, right off the bat, things went badly for Shulk. He stumbled and fell off of every platform on the way down to his robot opponent. He groaned and got up on his feet weakly as he tried to take a swing at R.O.B. He missed by a mile as R.O.B charged in and made an attack.

He grabbed Shulk and landed a devastating ground pound. He then threw Shulk upward and hit the Monado wielder with a few swings of his mechanical arms. Shulk fell to the ground and let out an extremely pained groan. He tried to get up but his muscles were in too much pain. His forehead felt like it was on fire and he felt like his stomach was about to explode. His breathing was also hitched and shallow, as if he wasn't getting much air at all.

Inside the Spectator Room, Lucina grew increasingly worried over Shulk's deteriorating state. She feared that soon, he would be pushed over the edge and finally collapse under his sickness. She wouldn't be waiting much longer.

Shulk had somehow managed to get back on his feet, but was struggling to stay up. His vision was beginning to blur and he could barely keep his eyes open. He sent a sloppy swing of the Monado toward R.O.B, but again missed. R.O.B replied by shooting short range lasers from his eyes. The attack knocked Shulk back and finally caused his to collapse.

Shulk began wheezing heavily and continued to do so for several seconds until he began to vomit uncontrollably. There was even a fair amount of blood in his vomit. Once he stopped throwing up, Shulk attempted to rise to his feet, but ultimately fell unconscious in a pool of his own vomit.

"Alert: Shulk has collapsed. 100% chance he is gravely ill. Statement: I forfeit this match so that he may be treated as soon as possible."

" _No contest."_ The announcer cried as Shulk and R.O.B were brought back to the Transporter Room.

Lucina was horrified at what she had just seen. She ran out of the Spectator Room and was about to go to Shulk, but two Miis carrying a stretcher crossed her path first. She then entered the Transporter Room herself and saw the two Miis loading Shulk onto the stretcher.

"We need to get him to Dr. Mario, stat!" The first Mii said.

"Right! Let's get going!" Said the other one.

They then ran for the mansion's medical wing as fast as they could with Shulk in tow. Lucina could only hope that Dr. Mario could help her friend. She decided to leave them in peace so she wouldn't be a distraction to Dr. Mario while he worked on Shulk.

* * *

Some time later, Lucina made her way to the medical wing to if Dr. Mario had finished with Shulk. What she saw concerned her greatly. Dr. Mario was speaking with Master Hand while Shulk lied on a medical table, still unconscious.

"I'm-a sorry, Master Hand, there's-a not much else I can do-a for him." The doctor stated.

"How can there be nothing you can think of? There must be something. I cannot have one of my Smashers die here." Master Hand replied.

"I've-a torn through-a my research, but I don't-a have the necessary tools to-a help him. I'll keep-a trying, but it doesn't look-a good for him." Dr. Mario replied.

Lucina gasped in horror upon hearing this exchange. This in turn caused both Dr. Mario and Master Hand to look at Lucina.

"Well, I'll be on my way. Keep me updated on his condition." Master Hand said before floating off.

"Hello, Lucina. Do you need-a something? Are you-a hurt?" Dr. Mario asked.

"No, I'm fine. I came to see if Shulk has recovered. Is he well?" Lucina asked, despite knowing the answer.

"I'm afraid-a not. Whatever it was that-a happened to him, it's-a making him weaker by the minute."

"Do you know what it was that happened to him?"

"I believe I do. Based on-a my tests, I believe he's been-a poisoned."

"POISONED?!" Lucina screamed.

"Yes. I'm afraid-a so." Dr. Mario replied.

"Who could have done such an awful thing?"

"I'm not-a sure. But I do know what it was that-a poisoned him."

"What was it?"

"It was a typical food ingredient known as-a anise seeds. Harmless to-a most, but-a for Shulk, deadly. It is-a reacting negatively to-a his-a body, draining it and-a causing his-a body to shut-a down. Also, it… Lucina, are you-a alright?" Dr. Mario asked.

"I…I can't believe it. Anise seeds. That's a main ingredient in the tea I gave to Shulk the other night. I'm the one who poisoned him! Oh gods, what have I done?!" Lucina screamed as she buried her face in her hands.

"It's-a ok, Lucina. You didn't-a know." Dr. Mario tried to reassure.

"How could this have happened?" Lucina lamented.

"Well, despite-a the fact that many of us look-a the same, we all come-a from different-a worlds. Because of-a that, all of our anatomies are-a different. What could be healthy for-a one person from-a one world could be-a fatal to another person from another world." The doctor explained.

"But that doesn't make sense. I've seen Shulk eat foods from other worlds without getting sick like this. We've all eaten foods from other worlds without getting sick."

"True, but that was-a because of careful planning from-a Master Hand. Before bringing-a food from other worlds to-a the Smash Mansion, he-a checks to see if it will-a be poisonous in any way to-a any of-a the Smashers. If it is, he doesn't bring it here. However, it appears that this-a one slipped under his-a radar."

Lucina was still distraught over all of this. The one poison combination that Master Hand had overlooked, and she just _had_ to trigger it inside of her closest friend at the Smash Mansion. She wondered if there was anything she could possibly do for Shulk. She looked around at all the medical equipment around the medical wing. She then decided to ask Dr. Mario a question.

"I see many medical tools and instruments in here, doctor. It is all much more advanced than in my world. Tell me doctor, why are you still unable to do anything for Shulk with all of this?"

"Well, as I-a said, his anatomy is-a different from yours or mine. If it were-a the same, perhaps I could-a do something. But as is, I cannot. The seeds have-a directly poisoned the ether levels in his-a body."

"Ether? What is that?"

"It is-a the building block of life on-a the land on Bionis. All living creatures there need it to draw energy from and-a survive. If it-a drops too much, they die. And-a the seeds are poisoning the ether itself, therefore poisoning his-a body."

"How do you know all this?"

"Master Hand required me to-a learn about the biology's of-a everyone here so I could-a properly treat them if-a the need arose. Unfortunately, while I am able to diagnose Shulk's problem, I cannot properly treat it. I don't have any medical tools from Bionis so there is-a nothing I can do. All I can do for now is-a slow down the poison, but I cannot-a stop it. I'm-a sorry." Dr. Mario said as he left the room.

Lucina was now alone with Shulk's unconscious body. She took a seat and stared at Shulk with a sad expression on her face.

"Shulk, I am so, so sorry for what I have done to you. I never meant for this to happen. I hope that you can forgive me for what I've done. I can only hope that you will recover so that I may give you a proper apology."

Lucina then noticed something sticking out of the pocket of Shulk's coat. Curiously, she pulled it out to see what it was. It was Shulk's room key. Then it hit her. Perhaps the answer could be found amongst Shulk's belongings. Dr. Mario said he had no medical tools from Bionis, but maybe Shulk did. Lucina then put on a look of pure determination as she rose to her feet.

"And you will recover. I am the one that caused you to be in this position in the first place. Therefore, it is my responsibility to fix it. I swear to you, Shulk, I will find the solution that Dr. Mario cannot."

With that, Lucina left the room to begin her search for this solution.

* * *

She began her quest right outside of Shulk's room. She used the room key she had taken from Shulk to enter his room. She hoped he wouldn't mind her going through his personal belongings without his permission.

' _No matter. He'll forgive me when I tell him that I did it to save his life._ ' She reasoned to herself.

Lucina went over to Shulk's bed and pulled out his suitcase. If there was a solution to be found, it would likely be found there. To her fortune, right at the top of the suitcase was a stack of papers, no doubt research notes written be Shulk himself. He had mentioned to Lucina at some point that he was a scientist and made notes like this frequently during his studies. To her misfortune, she could not read what was on the papers. It was written in Shulk's native language, which Lucina was unable to read. To her it merely looked like a bunch of scribbles.

She then set the papers aside and kept rummaging through Shulk's stuff. Beneath the papers lied several spare sets of clothes. These were of no help to her mission, so Lucina just tossed them aside. Next, she came across a series of small tools.

' _These could prove useful._ ' She thought to herself.

However, upon closer inspection, Lucina began having second thoughts about that. These tools did not seem to be of a medical nature. They looked nothing like the tools she observed Dr. Mario using. Lucina cast these aside as well and kept looking. At the bottom of the suitcase was a large box. Upon opening it, Lucina saw several small crystals kept in containers. These crystals had a strange glow about them. There were also several glass cylinders with a strange liquid in them. This liquid was glowing in a similar fashion to the crystals.

"What could this possibly be? Could it be that 'ether' stuff Dr. Mario mentioned earlier? If it is, how can I possibly use it to heal Shulk? Do I just give it to him as is? Do I have to do something to it first?" She wondered aloud.

Lucina continued to go through Shulk's suitcase, becoming increasingly frustrated at her lack of results. She tore through his stuff over and over, hoping to find something useful. After nearly an hour of this, she screamed in frustration and slumped down.

"Gods, what can I possibly do now?" She sighed.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Lucina turned around and saw a Smasher by the name of Fox McCloud, standing in the doorway.

"Fox! I-I can explain!" Lucina stammered.

"An explanation of how and why you broke into my and Shulk's room and are currently tearing through his things, presumably without his permission? Now this I have to hear." Fox replied.

Lucina proceeded to tell Fox the whole story. From how she inadvertently poisoned Shulk, how he fell in a battle against R.O.B, and how she felt it was her responsibility to nurse Shulk back to health since she was the reason he got sick in the first place. Once her story ended, Fox stood there in contemplation.

"I see. I must say, it's very nice of you to go this far for him." Fox said.

"I appreciate your words, Fox. However, I regret that I have yet to be able to do anything for him yet. I am unable to decipher his notes and I don't know what I could possibly do with all those strange crystals and cylinders he keeps in that box."

"Have you tried loading them into that machine over there?"

Fox pointed to the corner of the room. Lucina followed his finger and saw a strange looking machine resting near the corner of the room right next to the Monado, which Master Hand had returned to Shulk's room following his battle with R.O.B. Lucina stared at it with confusion written all over her face.

"What is that strange contraption?" Lucina asked.

"It's some kind of furnace. At least that's what Shulk says. He uses it for small advantages during battle or sometimes just to keep his strength up." Fox explained.

"And do you know how to work it?"

"Kinda. I've had to help Shulk with it a number of times. He says it takes two people to fully operate it."

"Let us try it then." Lucina proclaimed.

"What, now?" Fox asked.

"Yes. It might be able to come up with something that could save Shulk. Just tell me what Shulk usually does with it." Lucina said.

"Well, he usually just stands on that side of the furnace and turns those little levers and knobs. He just has me pour the liquid from one of those cylinders into the machine."

"Which ones am I supposed to use?"

"I'm not sure, Shulk's the only one who truly knows how it works. But I suppose the two of us could try."

With that, Fox grabbed one of the ether cylinders and put it into the furnace. Lucina stared awkwardly at the levers and knobs. She slowly reached for one of the levers and pulled on it. The machine made a strange cranking noise at this action, startling Lucina. She then twisted one of the knobs, resulting in a similar sound. She then tried one more of the knobs, causing the machine to start shaking and rattling intensely.

"Oh dear. Is it supposed to do that?" Lucina asked.

"I've never seen it do that before. I think you may have pulled on a bad lever." Fox replied.

The machine continued to shake violently. Lucina tried turning some of the other switches on the furnace, but this only made it worse. She and Fox slowly backed away from it, both afraid it was going to explode on them. However, it eventually stopped shaking as a small compartment opened up near the bottom of the machine. From this little compartment out popped…

"A gem? That's it?" Lucina asked.

"Yeah, that's all the furnace does. As for what the gem's for, your guess is as good as mine. This is usually the part where Shulk says my part is done. Anyways, I have to go now. Good luck, Lucina." Fox said before walking off.

Lucina picked up the small gem and stared at it curiously. What could this little thing possibly do? How did the machine make it from a liquid? What did Shulk use it for? Lucina then eyed the Monado laying next to the furnace. She noticed there was a small opening near the hilt of the sword that looked just large enough to fit the gem.

"I wonder…" She said.

Lucina gently picked up the powerful red sword, being careful not to activate it, and slowly slid the gem into the opening. Sure enough, it was a perfect fit. That's when it hit her. Shulk fused the gems with his weaponry. Convinced that this would be what could cure Shulk, she rushed for the medical wing, Monado in hand.

* * *

When Lucina finally reached the medical wing, she went straight into the room where Shulk was kept. Fortunately, Dr. Mario was not around, so she didn't fear being discovered.

"Shulk, I pray that what I have done will be sufficient enough to save you." Lucina said to the unconscious body.

She then slowly slipped the Monado next to Shulk and wrapped his hand around it. To her shock nothing seemed to happen. She then reasoned that perhaps the Monado needed to be activated for the gem's power to start working. She slowly reached out and touched the Monado, hoping to activate it. When it didn't turn on, she lightly fiddled with it some more until it finally activated. Lucina immediately retracted her hands so she wouldn't feel any of the Monado's effects on her. To her surprise, the activated Monado seemed to draw something resembling a reaction from the unconscious Shulk. This filled Lucina with hope that perhaps what she had done was working. Lucina then decided to leave before Dr. Mario returned and spotted her.

"Be well, Shulk. I hope my efforts have not been in vain." Lucina said before departing.

* * *

The next day, after she had finished her scheduled fights, Lucina returned to the medical wing to see if Shulk was making any progress. When she arrived, Dr. Mario was once again looking over Shulk.

"Ah, good-a day, Lucina. Come-a back to check on-a Shulk?" the doctor asked.

"I have. How goes his recovery?" She asked.

"Well, surprisingly, The poison has-a stopped spreading. In fact, his-a body seems to have started building up a defense to-a the poison."

"Well, that is wonderful news indeed. Hopefully soon he will awaken and all will be as it was."

"Indeed. Whatever it is you-a did, it may have-a saved his life. So, good-a job, Lucina."

"W-what do you mean? I did nothing to Shulk. I haven't a clue what you're talking about."

"Come on. Don't-a lie to me. I saw security camera footage of-a you coming in with his-a weapon. But again, whatever you-a did, you saved-a him."

Lucina couldn't believe how careless she had been. She should have known her actions were being recorded. And how could she be so careless as to leave the Monado with him? That was a clear sign that someone had come and visited Shulk while the doctor was away. Still, it was good that her friend was recovering.

"However, it's-a not over for Shulk yet, I'm afraid." Dr. Mario continued.

Lucina looked at the doctor in confusion. How could it not be done? The poison had been taken care of. What more was there?

"While the worst part is-a over, his condition is-a far from stable. His body is-a still low on ether, and unless he gets-a more, he's-a not going anywhere anytime soon. And even-a worse, I'm-a not sure how to get-a my hands on-a more." The doctor explained.

This left Lucina somewhat frustrated. She thought that she had finally saved her friend, but it turned out he was still in need of more care. How could she possibly help Shulk now? She didn't know how to get more ether any more than Dr. Mario did. What could she possibly do?

* * *

Later that day, she returned to her room for a quick nap. She was still somewhat upset that Shulk had yet to fully recover, but what else could she do. Just as she climbed into her bed, she saw a room key on her dresser. And it wasn't hers. On it was written 'Room 2504'. Then she remembered: This was Shulk's room key. She had neglected to return it to him the previous night after bringing him the Monado. She leapt out of her bed and ran across the hall to Shulk's room, all traces of being tired gone.

She went back to Shulk's suitcase, which she hadn't reorganized since tearing it apart the previous day. She went back to the box that had all the crystals and cylinders. Lucina grabbed one of the containers that was full of crystals. Once she had this, she went back to where her friend was recovering.

Dr. Mario was once again absent from the room at the present moment. Lucina wasn't sure where he was, but she cared little right now. Her primary concern was speeding up Shulk's recovery. Once she returned to his bedside, Lucina took out the crystal container. However, she then hit a little snag. What was she supposed to do with the crystals? She knew nothing about what this stuff truly was or how it could be used on Shulk. What was she supposed to do? Did she put the crystals in his mouth like candy? Was it supposed to be mixed into something? She racked her brain trying to think of something. Perhaps something Shulk had said earlier might give her some kind of clue. She thought back to right after they first met, when they exchanged life stories. Lucina tried to remember if Shulk said anything about ether during his tale. Suddenly, a memory came to her.

Shulk had said he once came across a girl suffering from a lack of ether, and they had revived her by shooting ether particles into the air and letting them get absorbed into her body. Perhaps that was what she needed to do. Let it get absorbed into his body. Lucina gently pulled one of the crystals out of the container and placed it on Shulk's body. However, nothing happened. This only confused Lucina more. She did what Shulk said he did to someone in the same condition he was currently in. Why wasn't the ether getting absorbed into his body? Maybe she had to do something else to the ether. Shulk did say that it was ether particles that were absorbed, not just ether. Maybe Lucina had to turn it into particles.

She grabbed the lone crystal that was on Shulk's body and placed it on a medical table right next to Shulk's bed. Lucina then drew her sword, the Parallel Falchion, and brought it down on the crystal. The blade crushed the crystal, turning it into a fine dust. Lucina then scooped up the dust and sprinkled it all over Shulk's body. Sure enough, the ether finally began getting absorbed into Shulk's body. This even caused Shulk to slightly stir.

Lucina was thrilled that her hard work was finally paying off. She quickly dumped the rest of the crystals onto the table and crushed them all with her sword. She then took the crushed remains and poured them all over Shulk. The particles were absorbed into Shulk's body slowly but surely. Lucina then ducked out of the room so Shulk could recover without any further interference from her. She only hoped that she had finally succeeded in nursing Shulk back to health.

* * *

The next day, at breakfast, Lucina sat alone in silence, wondering if her friend had finally recovered. She was currently lost in her own thoughts.

' _Will Shulk finally awaken? If he does, will he be well, or will there still be lingering traces of the poison? If he does recover, will he be angry at me for poisoning him in the first place? Will there be any way for me to convince him it was an accident?_ '

"Is this seat taken?" Someone said, snapping Lucina out of her thoughts.

Lucina looked up at who was speaking, and it was none other than the blonde friend she had just been thinking about.

"Shulk! O-of course not. Please, have a seat." Lucina replied.

"Thanks." Shulk said as he sat down.

"How have you been recovering? Are you still ill?" Lucina asked.

"Well, I am still feeling a smidge weak, but Dr. Mario said that with a little rest, I'll be right as rain in no time."

"That is wonderful to hear, indeed. Did Dr. Mario mention anything else?"

"Yes. He told me the full story."

Lucina let out a sad sigh as she looked right at Shulk.

"Shulk, I am so, so sorry for what I did to you. I had no idea that that would happen. I should have realized something was wrong sooner and kept any of this from happening. I should have…"

Shulk gently placed his hand on top of Lucina's, which got her to stop talking.

"It's alright, Lucina. Neither one of us could've known that those seeds would turn out to be poisonous to me. You didn't intentionally mean me any harm. Plus you were the one who ultimately saved me in the end. Without you, I might not be here right now. But that does make me wonder, why did you go so far just to help me recover?"

"Since I was the one who poisoned you in the first place, I felt it was my responsibility to see you back to health. I felt it was the only way to atone for what I did."

"Still, I'm impressed you managed to figure out everything that had to be done in order to keep me from dying. I'm touched that you care so much about me. So, thank you, Lucina."

Shulk then gave Lucina a warm smile as a token of appreciation. This, in turn, caused Lucina to grow a small smile as well. She truly was glad that Shulk was now feeling better and was appreciative of her efforts. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she had caused the death of the one person at the Smash Mansion, beside Robin, that she was probably closest to.

"You are most welcome, Shulk." She replied.

"However, there is still one thing I can't figure out." Shulk said.

"Oh?"

"What happened to my room? Everything in there is a right big mess. I know I didn't leave it like that before I got sick."

Lucina's eyes widened as she quickly rose to her feet.

"Well, I would very much like to continue this conversation, but I must be off. I have a very bust day planned. Farewell, Shulk." Lucina said before hastily walking away.

* * *

 **Meh. I had an idea, and I ran with it as best I could. See what I mean about my first third not being my best?**

 **Even so, please refrain from posting unneeded flame comments for this chapter. No one wants that. Least of all, me.**

 **There were a number of reasons this took so long. The biggest ones were:**

 **My class schedule. I think I speak for about 90-95% of any given student body when I say that math (specifically algebra, in my case) is a pain. In. The. ASS! I had to spend a lot of my free time doing my math assignments and studying for that class. Even now, I can still barely understand it. Often times, it makes me want to curl into a corner and cry. Luckily for me, I believe that this is the last math class I need to take as per my core requirements. If I pass this class, then I never have to worry about any of that crap ever again.**

 **My job. The only reason I still work at where I do is the money. That's really the only thing keeping me there. Even then, it doesn't pay much. The hours are often long, and I get tired of it very easily. Hopefully I'll find a new job soon.**

 **Me being lazy. What else is there to say, really. What little free time I did have, I often spent doing things other than writing. As an example, I got _Xenoblade Chronicles 2_ for Christmas, so I spent a lot of time playing that, and only recently did I beat it.**

 **Also, for those of you who may be confused with a few things in this chapter, here are a few explanations. The machine Lucina and Fox used is called an ether furnace. It's a device in the first _Xenoblade Chronicles_ that the characters can use to make gems that can boost certain abilities. They can equip these gems to any of their weapons, Monado included. One of these gems can boost the character's defense to enemies that use poison attacks. Just imagine that this it the gem Lucina happened to make. If there are any more questions, leave them in a comment and I'll answer them in the next chapter. but again, no hurtful remarks, please.**

 **Anyway, with luck, I'll have the next chapter up sooner than I did this one. Speaking of, in the next chapter, Shulk has a question he wants to ask Lucina. I hope you enjoy it.**

 **Before I wrap this author's note up, I have one more announcement.**

 **I'm going to let you guys in on something. Over the past several months, a good friend of mine has been working very hard on bringing his own anime-inspired internet show to life. And he's given me a role in the show voicing numerous characters. Voice acting sessions are due to begin next month, and we hope to have the first episode on YouTube by the end of the year. The show is simply going to be titled _The Chosen Ones._ I'll give you guys more details as the release draws closer and closer. The reason I tell you this is because this is going to be my way of promoting the show. If the show proves to be popular enough on YouTube, it might get picked up be a more profitable internet company, like Hulu, which will help it reach a broader audience. If you're into anime or anime-like shows, give this a watch once it comes out. It has one hell of a gripping story to it, and I'm certain you will love it. Once you finish watching it, tell your friends about it. Tell your friends to tell their friends. Spread the word, people. SPREAD THE WORD!**

 **Well, until the next chapter, see you real soon!**


	8. The first date

**Bonjour à vous tous, mes beaux lecteurs.**

 **Je suis de retour pour vous apporter un autre chapitre merveilleux de cette charmante petite histoire.**

 **Je dois dire que j'ai beaucoup plus confiance dans ce chapitre que dans mon dernier. J'espère que cela signifie que ça va aller un peu mieux que le dernier, du moins à mes yeux.**

 **Je ne vais pas perdre votre temps à bavarder ici, alors commençons ce chapitre, allons-nous?**

 _ **Super Smash Bros.**_ **© Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai**

* * *

* _Smash Mansion living room_ *

* _about 5:30 PM_ *

* * *

Shulk was currently lying on a sofa in the living room, watching television. He had a day off from tournament fights and was trying to amuse himself on his free time. However, the show he was watching didn't seem all that exciting to him, but unfortunately, he couldn't find the remote. So, he was stuck watching this show. Shulk decided to distract himself by getting lost in his own thoughts.

He thought back to the events that had occurred a month ago, when Lucina had saved him from almost certain death from poisoning. He was still very grateful to her for what she did. Ever since that incident, he found his thoughts drifting over toward her more and more. Shulk couldn't figure out why that was.

Perhaps it was because he didn't know a lot of people who would go to the lengths Lucina did for him. There were some, like Fiora, perhaps. But Shulk had never been put into that kind of life threatening situation and had Fiora save him. Plus, Shulk felt that the two women were very different. Lucina was more straightforward, and a bit more goal-oriented. Shulk admired her endless determination. He also liked her strong will and serious nature. Sure, she could be a bit too serious at times, but that sort of added to her charm. Plus, Shulk found those rare instances where she did loosen up a bit to be amusing, such as when she lit up when he told her about Family Day. He enjoyed making others happy, and seeing a smile on Lucina's face brought him a lot of joy. Shulk thought Lucina looked really cute with a smile. Almost as cute as the way her long blue hair fell perfectly around her shoulders.

' _Wait, where did that come from?_ ' Shulk thought to himself.

He had a lot of thoughts about Lucina before, but 'cute' never entered his mind until now. So why was he suddenly thinking of Lucina as 'cute'?

Well, she kind of was, Shulk had to admit. Her rare smile and blue hair were just the tip of the iceberg. She was slender and tall. She also and quite an air of grace and elegance to her. And she was one of the strongest women Shulk knew. He found strength to be one of the most attractive qualities a person could have.

Shulk was finding he had all sorts of feelings for Lucina that he never knew he had before. But what was he to do with them?

"I've seen that look in a man's eye before. Thinking about a special lady, are you Shulk?"

Shulk was instantly pulled from his thoughts and looked up to who was speaking. It was Roy, one of a handful of Smashers that had entered this tournament a little later then most others. According to some of the others, Roy had competed in the second Smash tournament, but was sent home when the third one started. Why Master Hand decided to bring him back when the fourth tournament was already well underway was anyone's guess.

"C'mon, tell me, Shulk. Which of the ladies here are you thinking about?" Roy asked.

"N-no one. None of them. No offense, but none of your business, Roy." Shulk replied.

"No need to sound so defensive. I was just curious."

"Well, if you must know, yes, there is a girl that I fancy. I've been thinking about her a lot recently. But I'm not sure what to do with these feelings I have for her."

"If you want my advice, I would say to act on these feelings. Get to know her a little better, and let these feelings grow."

"What, you mean like, ask her on a date?"

"If that is how you prefer to look at it, then yes, Shulk."

Shulk contemplated Roy's words. Perhaps he should learn more about Lucina. See if these feelings grow into something more. Perhaps learn if she feels the same way about him as her does about her. Shulk decided to go for it.

"Alright, I'll give it a try. Thanks, Roy." Shulk said before walking off.

"Not at all, Shulk. Now, where is the television remote?" Roy asked himself.

* * *

Once dinner rolled around, Shulk mused over how to best ask out Lucina. Shulk considered writing a note and slipping it under her door, but then decided against it. He wanted to be direct. Shulk thought about maybe just saying 'Wanna go out on a date?' next time he saw her. No, that was a little _too_ direct, Shulk decided. What to do, what to do?

"Greetings, Shulk." A voice called.

"Oh. 'ello Lucina. Robin. What's up?"

"What do you mean? The ceiling is what is 'up' if that's what you are asking." Lucina said.

"I don't believe that's what he meant, Lucina." Robin stated.

"No, it isn't. Where I'm from, it's another way of saying 'How are you?'." Shulk explained.

"Ah. I see. In that case, I am well this evening." Lucina answered.

"That's good. And you, Robin?" Shulk asked.

"I'm fine, thank you for asking. Lucina and I were just discussing the town beyond the Smash Mansion. Have you been there Shulk?" Robin asked.

"Can't say that I have. I see the lights from that town each night, though. If I had a bit more free time on my hands, I'd check it out."

"As would I, Shulk. All I know for sure is that it is called 'Smashville'. At least, that's what Master Hand said. I wonder what it is like there. What do you suppose it is like, Lucina?"

"I am uncertain. I wonder if it will be anything like Ylisstol, with all of its shops and restaurants. I would enjoy going over there some day."

"What's Ylisstol?" Shulk asked.

"It is the capital city of Ylisse, the land where we both hail from." Lucina explained.

"Yes, it is quite a marvelous place. It almost completely surrounds Ylisse's castle in the same way Smashville surrounds the mansion." Robin added.

"Very interesting." Shulk said.

"Indeed. Well, if you will excuse me, I believe I need to heat up my food a bit. I'm still very fascinated by those microwave machines and how they work." Robin said.

As Robin got up and walked toward the microwaves, Shulk had an idea. If Smashville truly was anything like Ylisstol as Lucina had described it, then it would be a great place to take her on a date to. He decided to go for it.

"Say, Lucina." Shulk started.

"Yes, Shulk?" She responded.

"Are you free on Saturday after 6PM?"

"I have no plans at that time. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was kinda wondering if you wanted to go with me to see Smashville. Maybe take a walk around town, see the sights, things like that."

"Hmm. Well, it would be a nice experience, I suppose. And it would be pleasant going with one of my most trusted friends. Yes. I would greatly enjoy accompanying you to Smashville, Shulk." Lucina said.

"Awesome! This'll be great, I can already tell. Well, I suppose I'll talk to ya then." Shulk said.

By now, Shulk had finished his food. With nothing else to do, he got up and headed toward his bedroom for some sleep. By then, Robin returned with some freshly heated food. He then took a seat next to Lucina.

"Did I miss anything interesting?" Robin asked.

"Not particularly. Shulk merely invited me to visit Smashville with him on Saturday night. Would you care to accompany us?" Lucina replied.

"I'm afraid I can't. I have a match against King Dedede that night at 7:00. Besides, I wouldn't want to spoil your date with Shulk."

"D-date?! Robin, I'm not certain if this could be considered a 'date'. More of just a friendly outing, if anything else."

"Call it what you like. All I know is that you spend an awful lot of time around Shulk, and it seems like perhaps he wants to go another step. If it were me, I would accept his offer. He seems like a charming young man."

Lucina considered Robin's words carefully. Ever since she and Inigo broke up, she had been secretly hoping to find love again someday. She decided to weigh her options on the matter. On one hand, perhaps now was not the time to go looking for love. Lucina felt as though she should focus more on improving her performance in the tournament rather than pursuing a relationship. She didn't want to be distracted by another experience like the one Inigo gave her. One where she feels strongly for the boy at first, only for it to come crashing down.

On the other hand, Shulk was not Inigo. She had known the Monado wielder for over a year now. She knew he was a kind and intelligent person. He was, as Robin described him, a charming young man. He was also one of the most honest people Lucina knew. She felt like he would never go behind her back the way Inigo did. Shulk was the kind to take it slow and think about the situation before acting. Plus, they did have a great deal in common, as Shulk had once pointed out. She was curious to see if they had more in common than either of them was aware.

' _Perhaps Robin is right. Perhaps this is a date. Maybe I should get to know Shulk better, see if this leads somewhere._ ' Lucina thought.

* * *

The rest of the week came and went uneventfully until finally, it was Saturday night. Neither Shulk nor Lucina were sure what they wanted to wear. Ultimately, they both decided to wear their normal clothes for this little outing, hoping the other wouldn't mind. Though, they both decided to leave their weapons behind, as they didn't think they would be needed. Once 6 o'clock rolled around, Shulk stepped out of his room and went across the hall and knocked on the door. Lucina stepped out and looked at Shulk.

"You look nice, Lucina." Shulk said, despite the fact that she looked no different than she normally did.

"Thank you, Shulk." Lucina replied with the tiniest of blushes at the compliment.

"Anyway, let's get going, yeah?" Shulk said.

"Indeed." Lucina said as they made their way out of the Smash Mansion.

After walking a couple miles down the path that led from the Smash Mansion to Smashville, the pair finally made it. Smashville was a fairly large town, with several buildings and streets of various sizes. It was also crawling with Miis. This is where all the Miis lived and worked outside of the Smash Bros. Tournament. The Smash Mansion itself could only house so many people, so Master Hand gave them this land to do with as they pleased.

"I must say, it's much more grand than it looks from a distance." Shulk commented.

"I quite agree, Shulk. It looks like there is much to explore. Let us look around." Lucina replied.

Shulk and Lucina immediately walked into the town and explored all there was to explore. Their first stop was a park near the center of town.

"What a lovely little place this is. When I was young, I would have given nearly anything to see this much green in one place." Lucina stated.

"It is pretty nice, I'll admit. It reminds me of a place I liked going to back home called Outlook Park. It was the one place I always felt I could go to if I wanted to clear my head." Shulk replied.

"Oh? What was your home like, Shulk?" Lucina asked.

"Pardon?"

"I said: What is your home like? I'm curious as to what the land you grew up in was like. What did you say it was called? Bionis?"

"Yeah, that's right. And to answer your question, well, where do I even begin?"

Shulk took a few moments to collect his thoughts, trying to figure out where to start describing Bionis.

"I suppose I'll start with my home town. It's called Colony 9. It's a quiet little town, but it's still really nice. It's got just about everything a guy could want to live a simple life. Now, as for Colony 6…"

Shulk spent the next several minutes describing his home to Lucina, who listened intently. She was quite amazed by the way Shulk described everything. She hoped that one day, she might get to explore Bionis for herself beyond just the Gaur Plain stage.

"So, that's about it for the Nopon village. Now, let me tell you about where the High Entia live."

Before Shulk could continue, however, he was interrupted by a low rumbling sound coming from next to him. He looked at Lucina with a skeptical look on his face.

"What was that?" He asked.

"I-it was nothing." Lucina said with a slightly embarrassed look on her face.

Before Shulk could comment, he heard another rumble come from Lucina, specifically her stomach.

"Sounds like somebody's hungry." Shulk said.

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice. I find such things rather embarrassing." Lucina admitted.

"What, having people hear your stomach rumble? Don't worry about it. It happens to all of us. Truth be told, I'm starting to feel the same way, myself. Let's see if we can find a place to eat 'round here." Shulk said.

With that, they got up from the park bench they were sitting on and walked around town looking for a restaurant. After about 10 minutes, they found one that looked fairly nice. The pair walked inside and waited to be seated. Once they were, a Mii came up to take their order.

"Good evening, you two. I trust that you are having a pleasant evening. I must admit, it's rather rare that we see Smashers like you here." The Mii waiter said.

"Well, we decided to try something different for a change." Shulk replied.

"I see. Well, I hope you enjoy. Do you know what you'd like to eat?" The waiter asked.

With that, Shulk and Lucina placed their orders, and the Mii that was waiting them took their order to the kitchen to be cooked. While they waited, Shulk decided to strike up a conversation.

"So, Lucina, I'd like to know, what are you like?"

"Pardon?" She asked.

"I said I'd like to know what you're like. I want to learn more about you." Shulk responded.

"Well, I'm not certain what I have left to teach you. I told you nearly everything when I told you my story right after we met."

"Yes, I recall that story. But what I'm asking is to learn more about _you._ Not your life story, _you._ Things like, I dunno, what are your hobbies? What are some of your dreams? What's your favourite colour? Things like that."

Lucina wondered where to begin answering these questions. No one had ever really asked her such questions before. She had rarely even considered such things before. But, Shulk was waiting for an answer, and she didn't want to leave him waiting.

"Well, I've always had a fondness for the color red." She said at last.

"Really? I always kinda pegged you as someone who liked blue." Shulk responded while gesturing to her outfit.

"I can see how you would come to that conclusion, Shulk. However, you were incorrect. Now, I would like to know what color you consider your favorite."

Shulk and Lucina spent the next several minutes learning several new details about each other. Everything from hobbies to fears to personal interests, and everything in between. By the time their food arrived and they started eating it, they were just discussing their dreams for the future.

"Well, for the longest time, my only real dreams were to save my world from the evils of Grima and see my family again. And now that both of those have been accomplished, I'm not entirely certain what I would consider my dream to be. If I were forced to answer, I would say that I wish to see my world's newfound peace to continue for as long as possible. And I wish to do whatever it takes to maintain that peace. I want my younger self to grow up in happier and safer times than I did." Lucina said.

"Well, personally, I think you're more than perfectly suited to help do just that." Shulk responded.

"Do you really think so?"

"Of course! You're one of the strongest people I know. And your determination is near endless. I find both qualities to be very admirable. I have no doubt you could do anything you set your mind to, Lucina. Be it keeping peace in your land or anything else."

Shulk's words couldn't help but make Lucina smile. To be praised in such a fashion brought her joy. Her smile only grew when she looked at Shulk and saw a similar smile on him. He was so sincere and honest, and Lucina loved that about him. She then decided to turn the question on him. She was curious as to what Shulk would dream about.

"Thank you, Shulk. Your words mean a great deal to me. If you don't mind me asking, what is it you dream of? I'm curious." Lucina asked.

"Well, my dreams are a bit more complex than yours. After my home was attacked, all I wanted was to destroy all Mechon, everywhere. But once I learned that some of them had people in them, I decided I wanted to find out the truth behind it all. Why were Bionis and Mechonis fighting? Why stick people inside those machines? I wanted answers. And after I got them, my dreams changed again. Like you, I dreamt of bringing peace to my world, to all worlds, by defeating the evil being who set all this in motion and was trying to wipe everything out. Now that that's out of the way, I'd say my dreams of the future have changed again. After I gave up godhood and reformed my universe so that life could form on many different worlds, I've wanted nothing more than to meet some of the people of these new worlds. That, in part, is why I decided to come compete in Smash Bros. When I found out that this tournament was bringing together people from different universes entirely, I couldn't say no." Shulk explained.

"I see. That is a most interesting dream you have Shulk. However, I am certain that you will one day achieve your goals. You're one of the smartest people I know, and if anyone could accomplish such a thing, it would be you."

Shulk was unable to hide his smile from Lucina after hearing her compliment. He even had a tiny blush on his face.

"Thanks, Lucina. I appreciate the compliment. You're one of the kindest people I've ever met. I like that about you."

"Thank you, Shulk. You're very kind as well. And I must also thank you for taking me out on this wonderous evening."

"Not at all. Though, who said the night was over? It's only 8:00. The mansion curfew isn't until 11. We still have some time to kill. Let me just take care of the bill first. I'm glad that they accept Smash Coins here."

"What is the total, Shulk?"

"It's gonna cost us 100 Smash Coins."

"Well, let me see if I have 50 I can lend."

"No. Don't worry about it, Lucina. I got it."

"Are you certain?"

"Yeah. I have more than enough anyway. I've really only ever used my Smash Coins for food, anyway. I haven't really bought anything else or competed in parts of the tournament that require Smash Coins like Classic Mode, yet. So again, don't worry, I'll pay for this."

"Well then, thank you Shulk, for being such a gentleman and taking care of this. Now, if you really wish to do something else before we return to the mansion, we should get moving. What would you like to do?"

"Not sure. Let's look around and see if we can find something. If not, well then perhaps another time."

* * *

With that, they walked out of the restaurant and began looking around town for one last thing to together before heading back to the Smash Mansion. They spent the next half hour looking around for something interesting. But unfortunately, neither one of them was able to find anything interesting. Shulk was just about ready to head back to the mansion.

"I don't think there's anything left for us to do, Lucina. Let's just head back to the mansion, alright? … Lucina? Lucina, where are you?" Shulk asked.

The Monado wielder turned around and saw the blue haired princess looking up at a building marked 'Movie Theater'.

"I didn't know this town had a theatre. Shulk, do you believe we have time to see a show? It's been too long since I've seen a proper theatre show. I always rather enjoyed seeing actors perform on stage, delighting the live audience before them." Lucina said.

"I don't think this is that kind of theatre, Lucina. But, if that's what you want, then sure. Let's go."

The pair then approached the theater and went up to a Mii who was working the ticket booth.

"Hey. Any good films playing right now?" Shulk asked.

"Well, we have two tickets left for a big drama movie that starts in about 10 minutes." The Mii replied.

"What do you say, Lucina? Wanna see a drama?" Shulk asked.

"I would. That has always been one of my favorite genres when it comes to shows. I would very much enjoy this." Lucina answered.

Shulk then nodded, and started pulling some of his Smash Coins out of his pocket. However, Lucina stopped him by grabbing his wrist.

"No. I shall pay for this, Shulk. You already paid for our food back at the restaurant, so this is the least I can do." Lucina stated.

"You sure, Lucina?" Shulk asked.

"Yes, I am." Lucina said as she handed the ticket Mii the required amount of Smash Coins.

"Enjoy the show, you two." The Mii said as he handed them their tickets.

The pair of Smashers then walked into the theater and looked around. There were several Miis working at concession stands while another one was collecting tickets and leading other Miis to their seats.

"Hey, Lucina, want some snacks or a drink before we go in?" Shulk asked.

"No, thank you. I'm still rather full after the meal we just had." She responded.

"Suit yourself. I might get myself a drink and a bar of candy before we go in. I'll be right back." He replied.

Once Shulk had his refreshments, he and Lucina were led into their theater. Lucina was quite confused as to why there was no stage up front, only a large white screen. Before she had a chance to ask about it, the lights dimmed and the movie began.

* * *

Once the movie ended, Shulk and Lucina walked out of the movie theater, both with happy expressions on their faces.

"That was incredible, Shulk!" Lucina exclaimed.

"Sure was, Lucina. I have to admit, I've always kinda been a fan of dramas myself. You made a good call, deciding to come here." Shulk responded.

"Thank you. I'll admit, it was not what I expected. I thought it would be like the theatre shows back in Ylisse. However, it turned out to be much grander than any show I ever saw back home."

"I'm glad you liked it. And I think we made good time, too. It's only… Uh-oh." Shulk said as he looked at the time.

"What is it, Shulk?"

"That movie took a lot longer than I thought. We have less than half an hour before the Smash Mansion locks its doors!"

"What?!"

"We gotta run, now!"

With that, Shulk and Lucina immediately ran out of town toward the Smash Mansion. Luckily, the movie theater wasn't far from the edge of town. Shortly thereafter, Shulk and Lucina made it to the walking trail that connected the mansion grounds to Smashville. The two young warriors ran down the path as fast as their legs could carry them. Shulk found himself wishing he had brought the Monado with him so he could use his Speed Art to get him and Lucina down the trail faster. After several minutes, the entrance to the mansion finally came into view. The two ran as fast as they could until they finally made it to the front door. Luckily, it wasn't locked yet. The two went inside and stopped to catch their breath.

"We made it. Thank the gods, we made it." Lucina said in between breaths.

"Yeah. And with one minute to spare, too." Shulk said as he looked at a clock in the mansion's main hall, which read 10:59.

"Well, we should return to our rooms before we get in trouble. We probably aren't supposed to be up this late." Lucina stated once she finally caught her breath.

"You're right. Let's go before Master Hand comes around." Shulk said.

The two Smashers then walked up the main staircase and toward their bedrooms. Once they were both in front of their respective rooms, Shulk and Lucina turned to face each other.

"Well, despite the frantic run back to the mansion, I had a lot of fun with you tonight, Lucina." Shulk said.

"As did I, Shulk. Thank you for taking me out on such a wonderful evening. It was lovely." Lucina replied.

"It sure was. I hope next time will be just as good, if not better. There will be a 'next time', yeah?"

"Of course! If ever you have another free evening in the near future, let me know. If I am free as well, I would very much like to spend that evening with you again."

"I'm looking forward to it, Lucina. But until then, I think I'm gonna hit the hay. See ya later, Lucina."

"Good night, Shulk."

With that, the two Smashers entered their respective bedrooms to retire for the night, each one looking forward to the next time they would be able to go on another date with the other.

* * *

 **Et un autre chapitre est en panne. Hourra!**

 **Tu veux savoir ce que je trouve étrange? Dans chaque histoire que j'ai posté sur ce site jusqu'à maintenant, le chapitre 8 a toujours été sur la première date du couple principal, et a toujours été nommé comme tel. Tout à fait la coïncidence, ne diriez-vous pas?**

 **J'avais beaucoup plus de confiance dans l'écriture de ce chapitre que dans le dernier, et c'est pourquoi je l'ai eu beaucoup plus tôt que le dernier. Ça, et j'avais un peu plus de temps libre entre mes mains. Et je suis sur le point d'avoir encore plus de temps libre entre mes mains. Pour moi, le semestre scolaire se termine la semaine prochaine. Et quand cela arrivera, j'aurai enfin des jours où je n'aurai plus de travail ou d'obligations scolaires. Je vais enfin avoir des jours de repos à nouveau. Oh, comme j'ai raté ça.**

 **Bien que, pour être juste, cela ne signifie pas que je n'aurai rien à faire du tout. Je devrai toujours être à mon travail la plupart des jours de la semaine. Sans oublier que j'ai maintenant un travail d'acteur vocal sur le côté. Cela limitera le temps que je passe à écrire. J'espère que ce n'est pas beaucoup, mais quand même. De plus, quand le nouveau semestre redémarre, cela va limiter mon temps encore plus. Dans cet esprit, je vais essayer d'avoir autant de chapitres écrits au cours de l'été que possible, mais seul le temps dira combien de chapitres.**

 **Quoi qu'il en soit, comment avez-vous aimé ce chapitre? Beaucoup? Un peu? Pas du tout? Faites le moi savoir. Juste s'il vous plaît ne dites rien de blessant.**

 **À venir: Shulk et Lucina vont tous les deux dire 'Joyeux anniversaire!' l'un à l'autre.**

 **Ce chapitre sera publié le plus tôt possible. Alors jusque-là, au revoir!**

 **(P.S: Je ne parle pas, je ne lis pas, je n'écris pas en français, j'ai juste utilisé un traducteur en ligne pour changer les notes de mon auteur en français parce que je voulais jouer avec vous, je pensais que ce serait drôle.)**


	9. Happy Birthday

**Good day, one and all. I have come, once again, to deliver the next chapter of this illustrious story. Let us commence with the reading, shall we?**

 **You want to know what I find kind of strange? No, you don't? Well, too bad. I'm going to tell you anyway. What I find strange is the timing of some of my chapter releases. For example, chapter 5, which was a chapter about big, scary, metal monster, was released on Halloween, which is a day celebrating monsters. And this chapter, which is about a birthday, was released on MY birthday. Quite a coincidence, wouldn't you agree? I wonder if any of my future chapters will be released on coincidental days. We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?**

 **All that aside, I hope that all of you find this chapter enjoyable. Let's get started.**

 **Edit: 9/11/18: As I said in chapter 12, this chapter is getting a bit of a rewrite. So, here it is. Enjoy.**

 _ **Super Smash Bros.**_ **© Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai**

* * *

* _5:00 PM_ *

* _Transporter Room_ *

* * *

Four Smashers were coming out of the Transporter Room, having just finished a 2v2 team match. It was Robin and Shulk against Villager and Bowser. It had been a long and hard-fought battle, but ultimately, Shulk and Robin proved victorious. After a 'good game' from Villager and an angry growl from Bowser, the two sword wielders started walking side by side and engaged in conversation.

"Nice job out there, Robin." Shulk said.

"Thank you, Shulk. And I must also thank you again for intercepting that attack Bowser was about to land on me from behind. If it weren't for you, he most certainly would have crushed me." Robin replied.

"Not at all, man. Those visions of mine really come in handy."

"I'll say. I wish I had your foresight abilities sometimes, Shulk."

"Heh, I've heard that one before. Say, if you don't mind me asking, what do you plan to do with the Smash Coins you won?"

"I think I'll see if I finally have enough to buy one of those collectable trophies Master Hand sells."

"Really? Which one?"

"I think I saw one of Chrom earlier. He's my best friend and Lucina's father. I think I'll give it to her as a birthday present next week. I think she'd like to be reminded of her home and of her family."

"Wait, Lucina's birthday is next week? Why didn't I know about this?" Shulk asked.

"She never told you before? Well, I'm not surprised. She always has been somewhat reserved about such matters."

"Really? Why's that?"

"I'm not entirely certain. But if I had to guess, I would say it's probably because of her past. Probably not too many happy birthday memories there."

"Ah, I see."

"In any case, I suppose you know now. Now that you do, what do you plan to do for her? You two have been dating for a few months now, after all."

"I don't know. I can't just copy your idea of getting her something to remind her of home. I'll have to think of something else."

"Well, I wish you the best of luck with that, Shulk." Robin said before walking off elsewhere in the mansion.

* * *

Shulk spent the next few days thinking about what to get Lucina for her birthday. However, this proved to be an extremely difficult task. He knew a lot of things about Lucina, but what she might like to get as a gift was not one of those things. He decided against asking her because he wanted to surprise her once her birthday came. Shulk went through several options in his head, weighing the pros and cons of each.

He considered baking her a cake, but then he remembered that he is distinctly lacking in culinary skills. Last tried he tried to cook something on his own, it ended with the food being burnt completely black, and a group of angry friends who decided they'd rather starve than try to salvage anything out of what Shulk made.

Shulk also considered the option of going into Smashville to buy a gift for his girlfriend. However, he quickly decided against it. As impressive as the town was, it was severely lacking in stores that sold things that women might like. Things like clothes, beauty products, and similar objects were impossible to find there. This is because the town was run and populated entirely by Miis, who all had the same body shape and generic looking faces and hair. Finding something meaningful for Lucina there would be far too difficult.

He also thought about taking her to see another movie at the Smashville theater. A decent idea, Shulk admitted, but not without its flaws. Since the two began dating, Shulk had taken her to that theater several times. He wanted to do something special for Lucina, not just another movie date. Plus, there were no good movies playing there, anyway. Nothing that Shulk thought Lucina would like, at least.

The Monado wielder then thought about challenging her to a match on her birthday. He knew that one of the things Lucina enjoyed doing most in her free time was honing her skills for the tournament. Shulk thought it would be a nice gesture to give her a challenging fight and let her practice her skills against an opponent like him. Perhaps not the most romantic gesture, but still. Shulk decided to think a bit more about what to get Lucina as a present, and if he couldn't think of anything else, he would fall back on this idea.

Still, it wasn't exactly the most original of gifts. The both of them had to go through similar fights on a daily basis. So did everyone else who lived in the Smash Mansion. That was the whole point of the tournament.

' _There has to be something else I can do for her. Something I'm not thinking of._ ' Shulk thought to himself.

Shulk was just about out of ideas on what to do. He was just about ready to just fall back on the 'challenge her to a fight' idea. Still, he wished there were something else he had thought of. These thoughts followed him around as he walked down the near endless halls of the Smash Mansion.

"Is something troubling you, Shulk?"

Shulk looked up and saw Princess Zelda in front of him. Surprisingly, she wasn't wearing her normal attire. Instead, she wore an elegant dress from her homeland, complete with long gloves, expensive looking heels, and an elegant looking hair ornament. Said accessory looked like three triangles joined to make one large equilateral triangle, all of them bedazzled with jewels.

"Not really. Don't worry about it, Zelda. Where are you going all dressed up?" Shulk asked.

"Oh, well, Link and I were just about to head into Smashville, and I wanted to look my best for him. What do you think?" Zelda asked.

"You look nice. I especially like the accessory in your hair. Where'd you get it?"

"I made it myself. I've always enjoyed making things like this, actually. It's a fun hobby. Anyway, I have to go now. I don't want to keep Link waiting. Farewell, Shulk."

As Zelda walked off, Shulk got to thinking. Why didn't he consider making something for Lucina? That would be a nice thing to do. The only issue was, he wasn't much of a craftsman. In the past, he had made and repaired weapons before, but that wasn't the same as making objects like jewelry like Zelda made. The two were quite different, and Shulk wasn't sure if he could pull it off. However, there was a perfectly good maker of such objects walking away from him right now. Shulk suddenly got an idea.

"Zelda, wait!"

"What is it, Shulk?"

"I was just wondering if I could interest you in a little offer."

* * *

The sun rose on a clear, sunny day in mid-April. Lucina woke from her slumber and got ready for another average day. However, as she was getting dressed, she remembered it wasn't exactly an average day, it was her birthday. However, to her, it likely would be just an average day. No one at the Smash Mansion, besides Robin, knew that it was her birthday, not even Shulk. She had never told him when her birthday was. As a child, she never had much time to celebrate her birthday since she was constantly running for her life. Even when she traveled back in time, there was little time to celebrate with a war going on. However, she was content with just a 'Happy birthday' from her friends and family. And that's all she expected today, only now, it would just be Robin.

The day passed by uneventfully, save for the moment Robin approached her and wished her a happy birthday. He even presented her with a collectable trophy that looked like her father. She was extremely appreciative of the gift, and placed it in her room, right next to her bed, so she could always be reminded of him. However, at around 4:30, she realized that she hadn't seen Shulk all day. She wondered where he was. It wasn't like him to avoid her. Usually by now, they would have run into each other and begun spending time together. But now, he was nowhere to be seen. Where could he be?

Her answer came when she saw him approaching her in a hallway not far from the Transporter Room.

"Hey Lucina. How are you?" Shulk greeted.

"I am fine. What have you been up to today?" Lucina replied.

"Well, I was just looking for you, actually. I heard that today was your birthday, so I decided to get you a little something."

"You knew? How?"

"Robin told me a few days back. I decided to do something nice for you."

"Thank you, Shulk. I appreciate the sentiment. If I may ask, what is you have planned."

"Well, unfortunately the gift I had planned for you isn't ready yet. So we'll just have to wait until…"

"There you are, Shulk!"

Shulk and Lucina turned to see Princess Zelda walk toward them. She had a small box in her hand. She then handed the box to Shulk.

"Here's what you asked for. Sorry I couldn't get it to you when I promised, but I forgot that I had a match against Greninja and Bayonetta earlier today. Still, I hope you're satisfied with it." Zelda said.

"I'm sure I will be. And, as promised, here's 500 Smash Coins." Shulk said as he pulled a sack of coins from his pocket and handed it to Zelda.

"Thank you, Shulk. Hello, Lucina." Zelda greeted.

"Good day, Zelda." Lucina replied.

With that, Zelda turned around and walked away, leaving Shulk and Lucina alone again. Shulk then turned to Lucina and handed the box to her.

"Well, to answer your question, _this_ is what I had planned. I asked Zelda to make this for me so I could give it to you. She said it would be done by 4:00, but since it wasn't, I was about to challenge you to a quick match. Well, now it looks like you get my original gift, so open it up. I hope you like it."

Lucina slowly reached for the lid of the box and pulled it off. When she saw what was inside, her eyes widened like dinner plates and she gasped in shock and surprise while holding a hand to her mouth.

It was a beautiful hair ornament. It resembled a butterfly perched atop a delicate flower. The ornament was a shade of blue slightly lighter than Lucina's own hair, and it had small, sparkling jewels on the flower's pedals and the butterfly's wings. Lucina stared at it in awe, not sure of how to react.

"Wow. It turned out even better than I thought it would. It's very pretty. May I?" Shulk stated.

The Monado wielder then took the ornament from Lucina's hands and placed it in her hair, right behind her tiara.

"There. You look lovely, Lucina. Truly, you do. What do you think?" Shulk asked.

Lucina's response to this was to frantically look around the room they were in for a mirror. When she found one, she to the mirror as fast as she could and stood in front of it so she could observe her reflection. When Shulk finally caught up to his girlfriend, he saw her staring at her hair in shock.

"It… it… it's beautiful!" She said at long last.

"No, _you're_ beautiful. Still, I'm really glad you like it. Happy birthday, Lucina." Shulk responded.

Lucina then turned to Shulk and embraced him in a tight hug, which Shulk happily returned.

* * *

Some months later, Lucina was walking down the halls of the Smash Mansion, heading toward her room. She was just about to get ready for another date with Shulk. She had been with him for quite some time now, and was hoping that she could do something nice for him to show how much he meant to her.

As she wondered what to do for him, she ran a hand through her hair. She felt the ornament Shulk had given her for her birthday. That's when it hit her. She would get him a gift. After all his birthday was only…

Lucina suddenly realized that she did not know when her boyfriend's birthday was. He had never talked about it before. Then again, neither did she. She wondered how Shulk had learned about her birthday. Then she remembered, Robin had told him. But this is where she was hit with a setback. Unlike herself, Shulk had come to Smash Bros. alone, with no one else from his world. There was no one she could ask about when his birthday was. She supposed she could wait until the next Family Day, ask his friends then. However, she did not want to do this. What if Shulk's birthday passed before then? She wanted to know as soon as possible.

She decided the best way would be to strike up a conversation with him, then try to steer the conversation toward the topic of birthdays or potential gift items and hope he reveal his. She only hoped that it would actually work out. Improvisation was never a strong suit of hers, so if the conversation steered elsewhere, she probably wouldn't know what to do.

After preparing herself for her date, she met up with Shulk near the Smash Mansion's main hall. The Monado wielder was standing there waiting for her.

"'ello there. Don't you look nice tonight?" Shulk complimented.

"Thank you, Shulk. Shall we be off?" Lucina said.

With that, the pair walked toward Smashville. Once they got there, the stopped and sat in the same park that they went to on their first date. They sat on a bench and enjoyed the scenery for some time before Shulk began speaking.

"There's something about these kind of peaceful surroundings that really puts you at ease."

Lucina decided it was time to start with her conversation plan. She prayed to the gods that she could get this to go the way she wanted it to.

"Indeed. I haven't felt a sense of peace like this since Grima was destroyed." She responded.

"I feel you. Time with my friends is the greatest gift I could ever receive."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I couldn't ask for anything greater than that."

"Truly? Nothing at all?"

"No, not really. Why do you ask?" Shulk said.

"…No reason." Lucina replied.

"Right. Anyway, what say we go grab a bite to eat?"

"Very well, Shulk."

As they walked toward the restaurant, Lucina knew she would have to try harder than that if she wanted the information she was after. She also knew she had to be more careful. Shulk was smart. One of the smartest people Lucina knew. If she wasn't careful, he would figure out what she was up to.

Eventually, they made their way to the restaurant. The pair decided to go somewhere different than the place they went on their first date, just to make things different. After they sat down and ordered, Lucina again struck up a conversation.

"Say, Shulk. If you do not mind, I wish to ask you something."

"Alright. What is it?" Shulk responded.

"Despite all I have learned from you since we met, especially over the times we have been together, I cannot help but feel there are things about you I have yet to learn."

"Oh really? Like what?"

"Well, things like personal pleasures, favorite items, important dates, things like that."

"Favourite items?" Shulk asked warily.

"Just a matter of interest." Lucina lied.

"Alright, what's going on here?"

"What do you mean, Shulk?"

"I know you're up to something. Your behaviour's been off since we left. No offense, but you're not as subtle as you think. Now, what are you planning? What are you after?"

Lucina sighed in defeat as she confessed.

"Earlier I was thinking about this ornament for my hair you got me for my birthday, and how much I wanted to do something for you. So I merely wished to find out when your birthday is and what I might get for you."

Shulk seemed to grow sullen at Lucina's statement, which seemed to worry her.

"Have I offended you? I am sorry." She quickly stated.

"No, it's not you, it's me. I've always enjoyed celebrating my friend's birthdays and seeing them happy, but never so much my own." Shulk explained.

"Why not?" Lucina asked.

"Because my birthday is also the day my parents died." Shulk answered.

"Oh gods! That's awful. I'm sorry, Shulk. Truly, I am."

"Thanks. And personally, I'd rather just let it pass by without notice. I don't need a gift."

"You know, I once thought like you. I never truly enjoyed my birthday after my parents died. In fact, my 13th birthday was spent attempting to defend a village in Ylisse from Risen. Everyone but me died. However, when I traveled to the past, my parents, my friends, and my allies attempted to change that. They tried to make me happy on that day, and you did the same once we met. And they succeeded, as have you. And I only wish to return the favor. It is my only wish that my friends experience happiness as well. Perhaps the day had negative meaning for you in the past, but it does not need to stay that way."

For a while, Shulk remained silent, as if contemplating her words. After a solid minute and a half, Shulk spoke.

"Well, if it could turn around for you, I suppose I could give it a shot. What do I have to lose?"

"Very well. Now when exactly is your birthday?"

"A week from tomorrow. I just hope it turns out to be a good day for once."

"Rest assured, I shall do all in my power to ensure you have a good day." Lucina boldly stated.

* * *

Over the course of the next week, Lucina racked her brain on what to get Shulk as a gift. Multiple options passed through her brain, such as a new book, a fun little sparring match, or an accessory similar to the one he gave her. However, none of these truly appealed to her. She kept thinking on what to get her boyfriend.

' _What should I get him?'_ Lucina thought.' _He always treats me so nicely, so it must be something that shows how much I appreciate him. He is very sweet, so it cannot be anything less than perfect. Wait a minute, Sweet._ '

Lucina suddenly remembered that Shulk had once said something about really liking sweets. She instantly resolved to get Shulk something very sweet to eat. Perhaps the Mess Hall had some kind of desert from the home world of one of the Smashers. However, she still felt that that wasn't good enough. This had to be special.

Lucina then thought back to her childhood. As a very young child, her mother had made the most divine chocolate cake. A nice rich dark chocolate with a very rich fudgy taste. The icing was very thick with a slight cherry flavored tint to it. And she could not forget the decorative strawberries that were placed all over the cake. From what she had been told, it was a royal recipe that had been passed down for generations. She loved it as a child, but when her parents died and Grima took over, she was no longer able to get the cake. That is, until she and her friends traveled back in time. When she did, Sumia had somehow found the ingredients to make it for her daughter during their war campaign. As soon as she tasted it, it was almost like she was a child again, spending time with her family, like she always wanted.

Lucina immediately resolved to get this cake for her boyfriend. She retreated to her room and wrote a letter to her parents asking them to send her a copy of the recipe as well as the necessary ingredients as soon as possible. She went to the Mail Room and put her letter in the slot with her name on it. It was gone in an instant.

Lucina only hoped that she would get what she needed on time. While letters and packages were sent to and from the Smash Mansion instantaneously, that didn't mean they were found or read by their recipients as quickly. Not to mention that Shulk's birthday was tomorrow. Luckily for her, she checked the Mail Room an hour after dinner and found everything she needed. She instantly took it to the Miis who would be cooking in the Mess Hall the next day and paid them off to make what she needed. It cost her a fair amount of Smash Coins, but it was worth it. Now the only thing she had left to do is wait and see if Shulk liked her gift.

"I pray that tomorrow will be a good day for Shulk." Lucina said to herself before going to bed.

* * *

Shulk awoke at the start of the day with a sad sigh. Sure it was his birthday, but it was also the day he had lost his parents. This day had almost never been a positive one for him. He did not expect this one to be any better. All he really wanted was for this day to get over with as fast as possible. At least no one else here at the mansion knew what day it was. That is, except for Lucina. Even though he had told her about the day, Shulk had hoped that she would not try anything too big or spectacular for him.

The day seemed to pass by without much incident. Shulk fought in a couple battles and had a few conversations with the others at the mansion. Still, his mind never wandered far from what had happened on this day, all those years ago. He truly missed his mother and father and wished he could remember them more. These troubled thoughts continued to invade his mind up until it was time for dinner. It was at this time that he realized he had seen very little of Lucina today. He knew that he told her about his birthday, so why had she not done anything for him or even spoken to him yet? He got an answer to his question when she sat right across from him.

"Hello, Shulk." She greeted.

"Lucina. How are you?" He returned.

"I am well. How are you?"

"… Fine." He muttered.

"I see. In any case, there is something I wish to give you."

With that, she put a slice of chocolate cake on the table and slid it over to Shulk. He had to admit, it did look delicious.

"It is a recipe straight from Ylisse. It's always reminded me of home and of my family."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. As a girl, my mother used to make it whenever I was sad as a means to cheer me up. But, when she and father died, I no longer had that luxury. That is, until I went back in time, when mother managed to make it for me once again. It instantly brought back that childlike sense of happiness. And I hope that it will make you feel better just as it did me."

With that, Shulk grabbed his fork, took a chunk out of the cake, and put it in his mouth. As soon as he tasted it, his eyes widened.

"This… this is incredible!" He exclaimed.

"Well, I'm glad you like it. I wish you a happy birthday, Shulk. Also, if ever you find yourself distressing about your past again, I am more than willing to lend a sympathetic ear." Lucina said as she reached a hand across the table.

"Thank you, Lucina. For everything." He responded as he reached and grabbed Lucina's hand.

The two sat together for the remainder of dinner time as Shulk continued to eat his cake.

* * *

 **And with that, I bring yet another chapter to a close.**

 **But not only that, I bring us to a checkmark I've been wanting to reach for quite a while now. If my calculations are correct, we have now arrived at the 1/3 mark! Hooray! I have some pretty interesting ideas going into my second third, so stay tuned!**

 **Edit: 10/6/18: As promised, I finally did it. I finally gave this chapter a rewrite. I know I once said I would try to avoid having a chapter with two similar arcs, but better this than 2 separate chapters with pretty much the same arc. I already did that once with chapters 6 and 12. Never again. Also, the reason I decided to make Lucina's gift to Shulk what it was is because in one of the heart-to-heart conversations held in _Xenoblade Chronicles,_ itopenly states that Shulk hates vegetables and has a very unhealthy diet. So I started thinking about cakes and the like since those are very unhealthy, but dammit they taste so good. So I decided to have Lucina make Shulk a nice tasty chocolate cake. It's like I've always said, if you don't like chocolate, you're not a human being.**

 **Up next: We will be checking in on some friends on the home front.**

 **That will be out as soon as I can get it out. So until then, leave a comment or a follow or a favorite. It really means a lot to me when you guys do this. But I also want you to not leave any negative or hurtful comments. Constructive criticism I will accept, but not outright hate. Anyways, I'll see you in the next chapter everyone. Remember, reality is an illusion. The universe is a hologram. Buy gold. BYEEEEEEE!**


	10. Letters home

**Are you ready for another chapter, kids? I can't hear you. Well, ready or not, here comes another chapter.**

 **I finally made it into a double-digit chapter number. Yay for me! To celebrate, I present to you a special chapter where we will take look in on the folks in Shulk and Lucina's home worlds, see how they're doing.**

 **I'm just going to say this now so it isn't a surprise later. This will be one of those chapters with two separate arcs that will more than likely be fairly similar. I tried to avoid it as much as possible, but in the end, I couldn't think of another idea of how to make this chapter work. None that I liked, anyway. I'm sorry. However, I might give this chapter a complete overhaul if one of you gives me an idea on how to make this idea work without two separate but similar arcs. Perhaps one of you knows something I don't or has an idea I haven't considered yet.**

 **Fortunately, though, this will be the last chapter that's like this for a very long time, if at all. All my upcoming chapters will focus on one idea throughout the entire thing.**

 **With all that said and done, let the chapter commence!**

 _ **Super Smash Bros.**_ **© Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai**

* * *

* _Smash Mansion_ *

* _6:00 PM_ *

* * *

Shulk was walking down one of the many halls of the Smash Mansion, heading for the living room. He had just finished an exhausting 8 man Smash, and was looking to relax. Once he made it to the living room, he saw none other than Lucina sitting on the sofa looking at a piece of paper. He promptly sat down right next to her.

"Hey, Lucina. How are you?" Shulk asked.

"Hello, Shulk. I am good today. I was just reading over a letter from my parents. This is the first one I've gotten from them in several months. Since before we got together, actually." Lucina answered.

"Really? That's nice. Wait, since when could we get letters from home? I didn't know we could contact home." Shulk said.

"Nor did I until Falco told me it was possible. Since then, I have been periodically sending letters to my parents and receiving them. I assumed you knew as well. If I had known that you didn't, I would have told you sooner. I'm sorry, Shulk."

"Don't worry about it. At least I know now. So what? If I write a letter home, it'll automatically be sent to our home worlds?"

"Not exactly. Come with me." Lucina requested.

Lucina then rose from her seat and started walking off, Shulk following right behind her. The pair walked all the way to the top floor of the mansion, to a large room with several large slots along the walls. Underneath each slot was the name of a different person who lived in the Smash Mansion.

"This is the Mail Room. It is here that we can send and receive letters and gifts from our home worlds. All you must do is write your letter, put it in the slot with your name, and it will instantly be sent to your home world. And if you wish to receive letters from home, all you must do is have your friends write a letter to you and make sure that they draw the Smash Brothers Symbol somewhere on the envelope." Lucina explained.

Shulk nodded in understanding. He hoped that one of his friends was a good enough artist to draw the symbol on the envelope if they ever wrote him back. Then again, the symbol was just a circle with two lines crossing through it. How hard could that be to draw?

"Alright, thanks, Lucina. If you'll excuse me, I got a letter to write to my friends." Shulk stated.

"Indeed. And I must reply to this letter sent by my parents. Farewell, Shulk." Lucina replied.

With that, the dating couple walked out of the Mail Room and returned to their own bedrooms to write their letters.

Shulk sat at his desk and thought about what to put in his letter. There was so much he wanted to say, but so little paper to write it all on. After much thought, he finally started writing his letter. He addressed it to his best friend, Reyn.

 _Dear Reyn,_

 _Bet you never thought you'd be hearing from me so soon, did you? Well, I just found out that I can send letters home whenever I want, which means we can talk more than just once a year. It would be kind of sad if I had to wait until the next Family Day to talk to you again, especially since that's about half a year away. In any case, I have loads to tell you and I want you to tell the others when you get the chance._

 _First off, I want to say that my progress in the tournament has been going great. I've made loads of money off my fights, and my skills with the Monado have gotten even better than I ever thought possible. I've even started taking part in other parts of the tournament that give even greater prizes. Remind me to tell you about Master Orders next time you come to the mansion. Long story short, when I eventually return home, I'll be one of, if not the, richest blokes on Bionis._

 _Outside of the fighting, life here continues to be grand. I've made tons of friends here since the tournament started. The stories these guys tell and the things they can do never ceases to amaze me. I love being around these guys and learning about them. But it doesn't stop there. Believe it or not, I actually found myself a girl here. Her name is Lucina, and she is one of the greatest women I've ever met. We've been dating for several months now. I can't wait for you to meet her when you come back to the mansion._

 _I'd love to tell you more about my life here, but unfortunately, I'm running out of paper, so I need to wrap this up. I look forward to seeing you, Dunban, and Riki again in a few months. Tell everyone I said hello. See you later._

 _Your friend,_

 _Shulk_

 _P.S: If you want to send a letter back to me, you can. All you have to do is write your letter, put it in an envelope, and somewhere on that envelope, draw the symbol that's on the seal of this envelope._

Satisfied with the letter he wrote, Shulk folded it up, put it in an envelope, and walked back to the Mail Room. He looked around the room for the slot with his name on it. Once he found it, he placed the letter inside the slot. Shulk then blinked, and when he opened his eyes again, the letter was gone. Shulk was surprised that it was gone so fast, but still, he was happy that his letter was sent. He then walked out of the Mail Room to get ready for dinner.

* * *

* _the kingdom of Ylisse_ *

Lucina's father, Chrom was currently in his chambers, putting up a large and fragile vase that his wife had recently bought from an artisan in the nearby town of Ylisstol. He was trying to find a good place for it when suddenly his door slammed open.

"Chrom! Chrom, look what we…! Whoa!" His wife, Sumia said as she tripped and fell flat on her face.

"Sumia! Are you alright? Is it those boots of yours again?" Chrom asked.

"Don't worry, dear. I'm fine." She reassured as she rose to her feet and dusted herself off.

"That's good. But do be careful, please. This vase is very expensive and very fragile. I almost dropped it when you barged in. Now, what is it?"

"Well, we just got another letter from Lucina!"

"Really?! Already? We sent our last one just last night. The magic at this 'Smash Brothers' place never ceases to amaze me. Well, please, read it while I find a place to put this."

"Alright. Let's see what she's been doing."

Sumia then opened up the letter and began reading from it.

 _Dear father and mother,_

 _I was very happy to receive your letter. While I do wish you had sent one sooner, I understand why you couldn't. Ruling over a nation must be tiring, as is watching over your daughter. Even so, I am glad that you found the time to write me._

 _Much has happened since you last wrote. My skills in combat have improved tremendously and continue to grow. Once I return to Ylisse, I will have to challenge you to another sparring session, father. I'm certain that this time, I will best you._

"Well, if she constantly has to fight against all of those people and creatures we saw last time we were there, I hold no doubt that she could best me." Chrom interjected, with pride for his daughter in his voice.

"Maybe. But still, there's a lot left to read on this letter." Sumia replied.

"Ah, yes. Please, keep reading." Chrom said.

 _I have also gained a great deal of friends since you last wrote. It feels good to once again talk freely with others and have a good time with them. I haven't felt like this since I was a child. How I've missed it._

"Well, I'm glad she's opening up a bit." Sumia said.

"Indeed. It's nice to hear that she's actually making friends. Hopefully they can teach her to loosen up a bit. Keep reading." Chrom said.

 _Speaking of which, there is one person in particular I wish to tell you about. His name is Shulk and we have…_

"Oh my. Oh my!" Sumia shouted.

"What is it, Sumia?!" Chrom said.

"I was expecting her to make a few friends, but not… not… THIS!" Sumia shouted.

As Sumia shouted, Chrom nearly dropped his vase again. Luckily, he managed to get a hold of it before it fell from his grasp.

"Careful, Sumia. Again, this vase is worth a great deal and is easily breakable. Now what is it that's so surprising? It surely can't be that bad." Chrom stated.

"Well, listen to this." Sumia said as she continued to read the letter.

 _His name is Shulk and we have been dating for the past several months._

Chrom stared at Sumia in shock, at a complete loss for words. In his shock, he dropped the vase and it shattered to pieces.

"W-what did you say?" Chrom finally managed to choke out.

"Lucina said she's dating a boy named Shulk." Sumia said.

Chrom then stormed up to his wife and yanked the letter from her hands. He then read it over just to make sure Sumia wasn't pulling some sort of sick joke on him. After reading it over, he handed it back to Sumia.

"This is unacceptable! How do we know that this boy isn't just another philanderer like Inigo? How do we know he won't hurt her?" Chrom shouted.

"I suppose we don't." Sumia stated.

"Gods, why does our next visit day have to be so far away? I have to make sure this boy doesn't do anything to hurt Lucina. What if he's even worse than Inigo?"

"Let's see if Lucina's letter says anything else about him."

 _He is truly a remarkable person, and I cannot wait for you to meet him. He is very charming, vastly intelligent, and a fiercely loyal friend. He is also one of the strongest and fiercest fighters I've ever had the pleasure of coming across. I could spend a great deal of time describing him to you. However, I feel it is best for you to speak to him in person. I just know that you will come to love him as I have._

 _Outside of my triumphs in battle and my growing relationship with the other Smashers, particularly Shulk, I do not have much to report. I'm certain I will have much more to tell you once you come and visit the Smash Mansion again, however. I greatly look forward to that day. Please give my regards to everyone back home, and tell them that they are never far from my thoughts. I shall see you both, as well as Cynthia, in a few months._

 _Your faithful daughter,_

 _Lucina_

"I'm not convinced." Chrom flatly stated.

"That letter didn't really give too much detail about this boy, did it?" Sumia pondered.

"No, it didn't. And I like this even less because of that. Didn't Lucina say similar things about Inigo when they first got together?" Chrom fumed.

"Maybe. Honestly, it was such a long time ago, that I can't remember. Still, maybe we should try to stay open about this. Lucina's a smart girl. I don't think she'd do this if she felt that she would get hurt again."

"Perhaps you're right, Sumia. Lucina isn't the sort to make the same mistake twice. Still, I'm not sure."

"I suppose all we can do is wait until it's time to visit Lucina again and try and talk to her and this boy then."

"Yes, you're right. Still, I wish there was a way for us to learn more about this boy she's with. I still don't know if I like the idea of her being with another boy. Especially after what happened with her last time."

"Well, we could always just write another letter and ask her to describe this boy to us."

"That's not a bad idea Sumia."

Chrom and Sumia then walked over to a desk sitting in the corner of their chambers. Chrom sat down and pulled a piece of paper. He and Sumia then began writing out a response letter to their future daughter over at the Smash Mansion.

They spent a long time drafting their letter, trying to find the right things to say to Lucina. But once they were satisfied with what they wrote, they put their letter inside an envelope and drew the needed symbol on said envelope. And in the blink of an eye, their letter was gone, sent to their daughter who was dimensions away.

"I hope she responds soon." Sumia stated.

"She usually does. I just hope she's not making another bad choice with this new boy that she's dating." Chrom replied.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

"Yeah. Anyway, what was I doing before you came in with that letter, Sumia? Oh yeah, I was trying to find a place for that nice vase I just bought. Where'd I leave that thing, anyway?"

"Um, Chrom?"

Sumia then pointed to the large pile of broken china scattered about on the floor. Chrom looked at the broken vase pieces, shocked over how he had been careless enough to drop it.

"* _sigh_ * I'll go call Frederick and have him clean this up." Chrom said with a slightly agitated tone of voice as he left the room.

* * *

* _Colony 9 of Bionis_ *

Shulk's best friend, Reyn, was just finishing an exhausting round of Defense Force drills just outside of town. He didn't know how his overly violent Colonel expected all his soldiers to keep up with his insane orders. He, along with most everyone else in Colony 9, thought he was more of a barking dog than a military leader. He wished his Colonel had been born somewhere else, and that the Defense Force was being led by someone competent.

At least he was done for the day. Right now, Reyn wanted nothing more than to crash on his bed and stay there for several days. But, once he got there, he saw a sealed envelope on his bed. This raised several questions in Reyn's head.

' _What is this? How did it get here? Did someone break into my place and leave it here? Why didn't they just leave it in my mailbox?_ ' Were some of the questions that entered his head.

Reyn slowly reached for the envelope and tore it open. He then reached for the piece of paper that was inside. He then unfolded the letter and started reading it. As soon as he started reading it, his eyes widened. He would recognize that handwriting anywhere. Reyn quickly read through the letter Shulk had sent him. As soon as he finished reading, Reyn quickly ran out of his loft and went to find his good friend Fiora and her older brother, Dunban, both of whom were also close friends of Shulk.

Reyn found them both behind their house. Fiora was trying to carry a heavy looking suitcase behind her and was struggling to pull the large bag.

"Fiora, are you certain you don't need my help?" Dunban asked his little sister.

"Don't worry about it, Dunban. I'm fine." She replied.

"You know, I still don't know why you bothered to pack so much stuff. We're only going to be staying at Colony 6 for 3 days." Dunban retorted.

"I like to be prepared." Fiora replied.

Just as Dunban shook his head and rolled his eyes, Reyn walked up to the siblings and made himself known.

"Oi! Listen up, you lot. I got something you might wanna see." Reyn said to his two companions.

Dunban and Fiora looked up at their friend, wondering what was so important that he interrupted them when they were just about to leave on a little trip.

"Reyn, whatever it is, can't it wait a few days? We're expected at Colony 6 by tonight, and I'd rather not be late." Dunban asked.

"Sorry. But still, I thought you two oughta see this." Reyn said.

"What is it, Reyn?" Fiora asked.

"It's a letter from Shulk." Reyn stated.

This caught Fiora and Dunban's attention. The two of them instantly dropped their luggage and walked up to Reyn. They were both anxious to hear from Shulk.

"Is it really? I didn't know he could send letters to us." Dunban said in surprise.

"Neither did I. And according to this letter, neither did Shulk until just before he started writing it." Reyn stated.

"What does it say, Reyn?" Fiora asked.

"Shulk says he's doing pretty darn good in his little tournament. He's got loads of money, and will probably walk away with more than any of us could imagine once everything's said and done with. He's also made loads of friends there, too." Reyn said as he looked through Shulk's letter.

"That is fantastic to hear, indeed." Dunban commented.

"Is there anything else?" Fiora asked Reyn.

"Well, there is one more thing." Reyn stated.

"Really? What is it?" Fiora inquired.

"Well… See, it's… It's, um… It's pretty surprising." Reyn stammered.

"What is it?" Dunban asked.

"Well… Shulk says he's found himself a new girlfriend there." Reyn finally answered.

This left Fiora and Dunban completely and utterly shocked. Of all the things Shulk could have possibly told them, this was the last thing either of them expected to hear. Especially Dunban. He always thought that Shulk and Fiora looked cute together, and was convinced that they would stay together forever. He was the most shocked when they announced that they were breaking up.

"Is… is that so? Well then… I… I must admit, that is fairly surprising." Dunban said, at a slight loss for words.

"I hear ya, Dunban. I never thought I'd hear that from Shulk. At least not for a good few years." Reyn commented.

"Well, personally, I'm really happy for Shulk. Good for him!" Fiora replied.

"Yeah, you're right, Fiora. I'm glad he found someone he likes. I hope they have a lot of good times together." Reyn stated.

"Too right, Reyn. I'm glad that _one_ of us was able to go on and find new love." Fiora stated while glaring at her older brother.

"I just don't think any of those guys were right for you, Fiora." Dunban said as he raised his hands defensively.

"Dunban, you can't keep scaring off all my potential boyfriends just because they're not Shulk. What he and I had was a nice thing, but we're over. I've moved on. And from the sounds of that letter, Shulk has, too. Say, Reyn, does his letter mention what this new girl's name is?" Fiora asked.

"Sure does. Says here her name is Lucina. At least I think that's how it's pronounced." Reyn answered.

"That's a rather strange name. Though, it might be more common in the land where she comes from." Dunban commented.

"Well, I hope that Shulk and this Lucina girl find lots of happiness together. I wonder what she's like. Hey, Reyn, does Shulk's letter say anything else about her?" Fiora inquired.

"Nope. 'fraid not. Only that they're dating for a few months and he thinks she's a great woman." Reyn answered.

"Darn. Now I wish I could go to this 'Smash Mansion' with you two and Riki and see what she's like." Fiora slightly pouted.

"Worry not, Fiora. When we do return, we'll ask Shulk about what Lucina is like." Dunban promised.

"Thanks, Dunban." Fiora said to her brother.

"Not at all. Anyway, relationships aside, is there anything else interesting in Shulk's letter?" Dunban asked.

"Not really. Only that he can't wait to see us and he wants us to tell everyone he said 'hi'." Reyn answered.

"Well, that can easily be arranged. If we see any of our old friends in Colony 6, we'll be sure to pass on the message. Right, Dunban?" Fiora said.

"Right. Speaking of which, we should probably be leaving for there now. We've wasted enough time here." Dunban stated.

"Alright. Maybe when we come back, we can write our own letter back to Shulk, let him know how things are back home." Fiora suggested.

"That sounds like a grand idea, Fiora. That is, assuming we can find a way to get letters to wherever he is now." Dunban said.

"There is. Shulk's letter says we can. We just have to do one thing before we send it." Reyn stated.

"What might that be, Reyn?" Dunban asked.

"Say, Fiora. By any chance, would you happen to be a good artist?" Reyn asked.

* * *

 **It appears that I, along with a great deal of the** _ **Fire Emblem: Awakening**_ **fandom, have jumped on the 'overprotective father Chrom' bandwagon. Go figure. How will he react when he comes face to face with Shulk? That's for me to know and you to find out by continuing to read this story.**

 **Overall, I feel like this chapter could have been a little better, but is still satisfactory as is. Again, I might give it a rewrite if someone gives me an idea on how to make it better. I welcome constructive criticism with open arms. It's a good way for me to improve as a writer. However, I do not welcome unnecessary rudeness or hate on me or my works. I ask that you keep those to yourselves, thank you very much.**

 **Still, I hope you liked the chapter. If so, let me know. If not, please no negativity. I promise that next chapter we will return to the usual Smash Mansion shenanigans. Speaking of which…**

 **Coming up next time: Shulk and Lucina are going to hit a little bump in their relationship. This is one chapter I cannot wait to have out, namely because I believe it will be one of my stronger ones.**

 **Unfortunately, I don't think I'll have it out for quite a while. Mid to late June, at best. Real life can be hard sometimes. Oh well. As the old saying goes: Good things are worth waiting for.**

 **Anyway, I'll get it out as soon as I can. I'll see you all then. Peace!**


	11. A Misunderstanding

**Greetings, one and all! Welcome back to another chapter of my fantastic story. I'm sure you're anxious to see what is going to happen. Well, I will not keep you in suspense. Let us read on.**

 **Althea Sirius: Thank you very much for your many comments. It means a great deal to me. I'm glad that you have stuck with my story since the beginning, and I hope you will stick with it to the end. Also, to answer a few of your questions and comments:**

 **Rest assured, I am aware of how Shulk's arts work. As I once said, these fights are the result of me recording fights I set up between CPUs and then writing down how they play out. And as one of my previous reviewers pointed out, the Shulk CPU tends to spam his Buster Art. Once he uses it, he tends to activate it again the second the cooldown ends. I figured this would get a bit annoying, so I made the choice of only including every other usage of the Buster Art in all of Shulk's future fights.**

 **I must thank you for pointing out my error with Luigi's clothes. I don't know how that slipped past me. Don't worry, I have now fixed that little problem. Also, if you see any other mistakes like that in the future, please don't hesitate to point them out.**

 **Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be incorporating Final Smashes into this story. I made the decision very early on to not include any items during my fights. And since the Smash Ball is an item, it, too, will not be used. The same goes for Assist Trophies. Sorry.**

 **The author's notes in chapter 8 are in French. I'll give you a translation if you want one. Just say so in a review and I'll shoot you a PM.**

 **At the present moment, I have no plans of including Inigo anywhere else in this story aside from maybe a passing mention or two. He's served his purpose in this story.**

 **Once again, thanks for all your kind comments. I hope you enjoy this chapter and all upcoming ones.**

 **Let's get it started in here!**

 _ **Super Smash Bros. ©**_ **Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai**

* * *

* _Smash Mansion hallway_ *

* _3:00 PM_ *

* * *

Lucina was currently walking down the hallways of the mansion, heading toward the living room. She had just finished another battle and was looking for a little bit of rest. Once she made it to the living room, she saw her boyfriend sitting in a chair across from Ike, who was currently telling a thrilling story.

"So then, both Marth and Meta Knight tried to attack the Ancient Minister, but both of them failed. That's when I came in. I went in with my Great Aether and severed the bomb from the Ancient Minister's flying transport. The bomb was destroyed, and the Minister flew out of control." Ike said.

"Nice. What happened next?" Shulk asked.

"Well, after that, the three of us pursued the Ancient Minister across the desert. Eventually we found… Oh, hello, Lucina." Ike greeted.

Shulk then turned his attention toward Lucina, and smiled as his girlfriend approached him. Shulk stood up and embraced her in a hug, which she returned.

"Hey there, beautiful. How are you?" Shulk inquired.

"I am fine, thanks. Was I interrupting something?" Lucina asked.

"No, not really. Ike here was just telling me a thrilling story about an attack by these guys called the Subspace Army, and how he had to help stop them. When did this happen, again? You said right before the third tournament, right?" Shulk asked his friend.

"Yes. This was actually how I came to Master Hand's attention and how I got to compete in Smash Bros. at all." Ike replied.

"Fascinating." Lucina replied.

"Anyway, we haven't even gotten to the best part yet. Let's continue. Care to join us, Lucina?" Ike offered.

"I don't see why not. I would enjoy hearing a tale such as this." The blue haired warrior replied.

Lucina proceeded to sit down next to Shulk as Ike continued speaking.

"Now, where was I? Ah, yes. We ran across the desert until we came across this vicious machine known as Galleom." Ike continued.

* * *

"And as Tabuu exploded, we all made our escape, confident that all our worlds were safe." Ike concluded.

"Great story, man." Shulk said.

"Yes, that was quite thrilling." Lucina added.

"Well, I'm glad you liked it. You should talk so some of the others about it sometime. From what I heard, everyone else was going on their own adventures around the same time before we all met up." Ike stated.

"I believe I will at some point. I would very much like to hear the full details of this story one day. Anyway, I must be going now." Lucina said as she stood up.

"I'm right behind you." Shulk replied as he, too, stood.

"Shulk, wait. I actually wanted to ask you a few questions." Ike said.

"Oh. Alright then. Go on, Lucina, I'll catch up." Shulk said as he sat back down.

"Very well. I'll see you later, Shulk." Lucina said as she left.

"Now then, what was it you wanted to ask, Ike?" Shulk said once Lucina was gone.

"Well, it was about something I heard about you from Robin. Something about where you come from." Ike said.

* * *

Lucina walked through the halls of the Smash Mansion, looking for some way to occupy her time until her next fight. She had a good 2 hours until then, so she thought about what to do until then. As she walked, she ran a hand through her hair. She then stopped. Something was not right. She couldn't feel the hair ornament Shulk had gotten her for her birthday several months ago. She only ever took it off when she slept or when she was in battle, as she didn't want it to get damaged. She remembered grabbing it after her latest battle, but must not have put it back in. She figured she must have set it down on a table in the living room while she was talking to Ike and Shulk and then forgot about it. She quickly turned around and walked back toward the living room to grab it. When she got there, she saw that Ike and Shulk were still talking. However, before she actually walked in the room, she overheard a surprising part of Shulk and Ike's conversation.

"Is that really how you feel about her?" Ike asked.

"Yes. I mean, I like her, and she has a fair amount of talent but, she's not exactly the strongest or well-rounded fighter." Shulk replied.

"Ah, I see. Not a fan this little lady, eh?"

"In terms of fighting ability, no, not really. It's just really hard to look past, even after that time she saved my life."

Lucina was taken aback by this. Was Shulk talking about her? About that time she had saved him from poisoning? How could Shulk say such things about her? After everything they had been through?

"What is it about her that makes you say that, Shulk?" Ike pondered.

"Well, I feel like she doesn't know too much about the world, and because of that, she rushes into battle without thinking, and it usually doesn't end well for her. Plus, as I said, it doesn't help that she's not the best fighter. She could also be a real handful at times." Shulk responded.

"Ah. So not the brightest candle in the room, eh?"

"In many ways, no, she's not."

"Wow. How do you manage it all, Shulk?"

"I'll admit, I'm not sure. I am not sure."

This was enough for Lucina. She couldn't stand here and listen to Shulk say such hurtful things about her anymore. She silently stormed out of the room with tears forming in her eyes. She felt hurt and betrayed that Shulk had called her weak and a 'handful'. She felt like she had been lied to, that all those times Shulk had complimented her were just hollow flattery. She felt the same way she had felt when she and Inigo broke up. She then resolved to not act the same way she had then. She resolved to prove Shulk wrong. She would show him, show everyone, that she was strong. And she resolved to never forgive Shulk for what he had said. With that, she headed for the mansion's training area.

* * *

"So, remind me again, what is this girl's name, Shulk?" Ike asked.

"Her name is Melia. While she is one of my best friends, my criticisms still stand. Anyway, I hope I answered all your questions." Shulk answered.

"You did. Thank you for your time, Shulk. See you at dinner." Ike said before leaving the room.

Shulk then stood up himself and began walking out of the room. But before he did, he noticed something. Lucina had left the hair ornament he had given her for her birthday behind. He grabbed it and set off to find her and return it. As he walked, he thought about why he liked her so much.

As he had stated to her several times before, he thought she was an incredibly strong person and fighter, more so than him in some ways. Her also admired her strong will and her strong sense of justice. And over the months that he had been dating her, he had started to see more and more of her softer side, and he found it beautiful. She was also very smart and determined. She knew how the world worked and always thought ahead with her actions and had reason for whatever she did.

Shulk wandered the mansion for some time, but was unable to find her. He didn't even see her when dinner came around, which worried him. He kept looking for her until he decided to go to bed. He hoped that he would find her in the morning.

* * *

Right after Lucina heard Shulk's comments, she went straight for the Training Room and began practicing on a large and somehow indestructible sandbag with eyes. She slashed away at it for about 3 hours, trying to hone her sword skills. This was about twice as long as her usual training sessions, but she was that determined to make sure that she proved Shulk wrong. She even skipped dinner just to keep training. However, her extended training time also led to sore muscles. After one big swing of her sword, she dropped her Parallel Falchion as a result of her stiff and tired muscles. Unfortunately, rather than take this as a sign to stop and rest, she took it as a sign that her arms needed a bit more exercise. So she spent the next hour lifting weights of varying sizes. Only when her tiredness became too much to ignore did she stop and finally go to bed. Right before she fell asleep, she promised herself that tomorrow, she would train twice as hard. Shulk would know the grave mistake he had made in calling her weak.

The next morning, Lucina rose an hour earlier than usual to begin her new training session. After a quick breakfast at the mess hall, during which she made sure to avoid Shulk, she went back to the training area. She spent the next three hours there, continuously trying to perfect her fighting abilities. Only when she looked at a clock on the wall and realized she was about to be late for one of her scheduled fights did she stop and head for the Transporter Room. Her entire body was sore from the overbearing workout she had just put herself through, not to mention her lack of sleep, but she did her best to ignore it as she prepared to fight.

* * *

Shulk was unable to locate his girlfriend at breakfast. This worried him greatly as they always sat together during meals. He wondered where in the mansion she could possibly be. When he was unable to find her, he instead looked at the fighting schedule. Shulk knew that Lucina would never miss a fight. He saw that she was scheduled for a 3-minute fight against Roy and Rosalina on the Pilotwings Stage in just a few minutes. Shulk made his way to the Spectator Room in hopes of talking to her once the match was over.

Upon arriving on the Pilotwings Stage, Rosalina and Roy both looked ready for a good scrap. Lucina, however, was still exhausted and in pain from the overbearing workout she had just put herself through. Nevertheless, she prepared to fight as the announcer counted down.

 _3_

 _2_

 _1_

 _GO!_

Lucina started off on the top set of wings of the biplane the fight was taking place on, while both Rosalina and Roy started out on the bottom set of wings. Rosalina wasted no time hitting Lucina with a strike from below while both she and Roy jumped up to the top wings. Rosalina then hit Lucina again with her wand before Roy attacked the space princess with an upward attack with his powerful fire sword.

Lucina fell due to the attack that was landed on her, but she soon rose to her feet, only to fall again due to Roy landing two consecutive fire attacks on both her and Rosalina. Both women fell and landed on their backs. Rosalina rose quickly and headed for Roy. Lucina, on the other hand, could only lie on the ground and groan, writhing in pain as her already tired body was weakened by the attack. However, she eventually managed to put her hand around the hilt of her sword and swung it, hitting the feet of the other two combatants, knocking them back.

Lucina then slowly rose to her feet, only to be knocked across the plane by Roy, who himself was knocked back by an attack from Rosalina. The three of them got back together and danced around each other for a few seconds until Roy hit Lucina with another strong attack, nearly knocking her off the plane. However, she managed to stay on, but just barely. Rosalina and her Luma then landed a series of small blows on both Lucina and Roy, trying to knock them off the plane. She didn't succeed, but did manage to weaken Lucina even further.

Roy then attempted to land a blow on Lucina, but she beat him to the punch, landing a series of blows on him and almost knocking him off the plane. But the quick and sporadic movements only made Lucina's muscles hurt more. She almost dropped her sword and fell in pain, but somehow managed to overcome it. The red plane they were flying on suddenly flew away, and the combatants were dropped onto a yellow plane. Roy then swung his sword at Lucina, nearly throwing her off the plane. However, she managed to get back up, only for Rosalina to land a strong attack on her, sending the blue haired princess flying across the stage until she was KO'd.

As she returned to the stage, Lucina was less than pleased. How could she not see that attack coming, she thought. How could she let herself get knocked out by it, she thought. The answer to her questions was because of her weakened state due to overtaxing her body.

As Lucina returned to the fray, Roy landed a particularly damaging attack on Rosalina and almost knocked her off the stage. However, the celestial princess recovered and got back on the plane. Lucina stood still for a few seconds, her body too strained to move around that much. But, she did manage to dodge a fiery jump attack from Roy that hit Rosalina instead, KO'ing the mother of all Lumas. While they waited for her to respawn, Roy and Lucina got back to the match. Roy launched a series of attacks on her, but she managed to dodge each one, but couldn't muster the energy to counterattack. However, Roy eventually got a good sword swing on her, knocking her back. Lucina lied on the ground and groaned as she tried to get back up. Once she did, she slowly approached Roy and Rosalina. The trio danced around a bit until Lucina countered an attack by Roy, sending both him and Rosalina back. Roy approached Lucina and hit her with a sword stab before she could react. She nearly fell off the plane, but managed to keep her footing, albeit barely. Roy then did a similar thing to Rosalina, only this time he knocked his opponent off the plane. Rosalina tried to jump back on, but the angle of the plane prevented her from doing so, and thus, was KO'd.

As Lucina attempted to catch her breath after the last attack, Roy ran for her to land another one on her. The future princess tried to swing her own sword at him, but she completely missed and Roy hit her with an upward jump swing of his fiery sword. As Lucina fell to the ground, Rosalina came back and swung her magic wand at Roy, knocking him back. Once he got back on his feet, Roy and Lucina ran at each other, ready to attack again. However, both sword wielders were knocked upward by a magical backflip kick by Rosalina. Both fell to the ground, hard. At this point, the red plane from the beginning came back and the fighters were dropper onto that as the yellow plane flew away.

Roy ran for the two ladies again and attempted to knock them off the plane, but Rosalina sidestepped his attack and struck him with her wand, KO'ing the red-haired warrior. As for Lucina, she was struck in the leg by the attack. She fell to one knee, using her sword to keep balance and keep from falling down completely. Once she rose, she started walking with a limp. As Roy returned to the stage, the three warriors fought around each other for a few seconds, with each landing some minor blows on the other two. However, Roy eventually managed a good hit on Lucina, sending her across the length of the plane's wings. As she struggled to get up, Rosalina grabbed Roy and almost threw him off the plane. Lucina struggled to catch up to those two, but when she did, a combined attack from them hurled her into the air. She crashed back down on the ground, and nearly blacked out. Only sheer force of will got her to rise and keep fighting, though she could barely stand. As she attempted to approach Rosalina, the space princess just jumped up and sent a downwards kick to Lucina, sending her to the ground once again.

The three combatants made their way toward the edge of the plane and tried knocking each other off for a solid 15 seconds, and nearly succeeding several times. Rosalina then approached Lucina and hit her several times with her wand, before finally sending the blue haired warrior flying off the stage, resulting in a KO. By now, there was only 10 seconds left in the fight. However, that did not stop Lucina from fighting. She tried lunging at Rosalina, but her limp kept her from getting far. Instead, Roy jumped between the two women and swung his large sword at Rosalina. She was flung from the plane and got KO'd just as the fight announcer began counting down.

 _5_

 _4_

 _3_

 _2_

 _1_

 _TIME!_

* * *

Roy claimed first place as he had 3 KO's and only got KO'd once giving him a score of 1. Rosalina got 2nd place since she landed 3 KO's and got KO'd 3 times, leaving her with a score of 0. And since she was KO'd twice and never got a KO, Lucina came in last with a score of -2.

" _The winner is: Roy!_ " Cried the announcer.

Lucina's body was near the point of exhaustion, but she didn't seem to acknowledge it. She only felt disappointment in herself for her terrible performance in the battle. She couldn't believe she had gotten last place and not a single KO. She stormed out of the Transporter Room to go back to the Training Room.

Shulk was beyond confused and shocked at what he had just seen. He had never seen Lucina fight like that. Like she was somehow hurt or weakened before the fight. He walked out of the Spectator Room and intercepted Lucina as she was walking out of the Transporter Room. Upon seeing Shulk, Lucina's face immediately angered.

"Lucina, what happened out there? I've never seen you fight like that. Are you alright?" Shulk asked.

"I'm fine, not that you would care." Lucina angrily responded.

"'Not that I would…' What do you mean?! Of course I care!"

"I bet you enjoyed that fight, didn't you? Thought that it proved you were right about me. Well, let me say this: You're _not_ right about me! I want you to know that I am strong! I am not to be trifled with. And I shall never forgive you for what you said about me, Shulk!"

"W-what I said? What do you…?!"

"Get out of my way!"

With that, Lucina shoved Shulk out of her way and stormed out of the hallway to go back to the Training Room, leaving Shulk behind.

* * *

As soon as she reached the Training Room, Lucina made ready to put her already exhausted body through another strenuous workout. For the next several hours, she slashed at sandbags, ran around the room, lifted weights, and did everything else there was to do in that room. However, there were several times where she dropped her weapon or even collapsed entirely as her body finally started succumbing to its own weakness. However, every time she fell down, she somehow managed to pull herself back up. She repeated this process for several hours, even skipping dinner again, which only worsened her already terrible physical condition.

Shulk spent the next several hours trying to figure out why Lucina was suddenly angry at him and what she meant by 'What you said about me'. Yet, Shulk was still drawing a blank. He didn't recall ever saying anything negative about her. He never said or did anything that could possibly insult her. At least, he thought not. He decided to ask her about it over dinner. However, when dinnertime came and he didn't see her, Shulk decided to seek her out. He quickly finished his food and searched the mansion.

He checked all the possible places in and around the Smash Mansion he thought Lucina could possibly be. The library, the gardens, her room, even the Mail Room. Yet she was at none of these places. By now it was past 10:30, meaning that the mansion's curfew would begin soon. Shulk was just about ready to give up and go to bed when he heard sounds coming from the Training Room. He peeked inside and saw Lucina swinging her sword at a sandbag. Shulk mentally slapped himself. He should have known this is where his girlfriend would be. She often spent her free time trying to hone her skills for this tournament. Still, Shulk couldn't help but wonder why she was still training this late. She knew the consequences of breaking curfew.

Shulk slowly stepped inside the Training Room and looked at Lucina. He was shocked by what he saw. Lucina looked completely exhausted. She was breathing heavily and struggling to keep her eyes open. Her sword swings were slow and sloppy, and her posture was terrible. She looked as if she would fall over any second.

"Lucina?" Shulk called out.

The girl in question turned to look at Shulk. When she saw him, she tried to look angry at him, but her tired face betrayed her. She then slowly started walking toward him.

"S-Shulk. What… are you… do…ing…?" She stammered.

She then collapsed, her body finally reaching its breaking point. She fell flat on her face and did not get back up. Her sword also fell from her grasp and slid away from her.

"Lucina!" Shulk yelled as he ran toward her.

He crouched down beside his girlfriend's body and looked her over. He flipped her body over so she was now laying on her back. Shulk then put his ear to her chest and listened for a heartbeat. He heard it, but it was slow. He then put couple fingers on her neck to check her pulse, just to make sure. Sure enough, it matched her heartbeat, slow, but steady.

Shulk then grabbed her sword and placed it in her sheath. He then picked up Lucina's body bridal style and carried her out of the Training Room. He knew that Dr. Mario wouldn't be in the Medical Wing at this hour, so Shulk carried her to her bedroom. Once he got there, he knocked on the door using his foot, and after a solid minute, Lucina's roommate, Rosalina, answered the door. She was about to ask Shulk what he wanted at this hour, but once she saw the unconscious Lucina, her expression turned to that of worry.

"What happened to her?" Rosalina asked.

"I'm not sure. I just found her like this in the Training Room. She must have exhausted herself while training." Shulk replied.

"Well, you best bring her in." Rosalina said.

Rosalina then stepped to the side and allowed Shulk to enter. The Monado wielder carried Lucina to her bed as Rosalina pulled back the sheets. Shulk then gently placed Lucina in her bed as Rosalina placed the covers back on her.

"There. She should be fine by morning." Rosalina said.

"I hope so. In any case, I best head to bed myself." Shulk replied.

"Good evening, Shulk."

"You too, Rosalina."

With that, Shulk walked toward the door and started to head for his own bedroom. But before he did, he turned to Rosalina.

"Actually, can I ask you to do me a favour, Rosalina?" Shulk asked.

"You may. What is it, Shulk?" Rosalina responded.

* * *

Lucina awoke late in the morning and the first thing she felt was pain. Pain coursing through every bit of her body. As she weakly tried rising from her bed, she tried to figure out why she was feeling this way.

"Please, don't try to rise just yet."

Lucina turned her head toward the speaker and saw Rosalina sitting in a chair on the other side of the room, holding one of her Lumas.

"Good morning, Lucina. Although, the morning has nearly passed." Rosalina stated.

Lucina's eyes widened as she quickly turned her head toward an alarm clock that was on a small desk by her bedside. The clock read 11:15. Lucina quickly tried to get out of bed, but her weakened body prevented her from getting far.

"Again, I ask that you not do that. You overtaxed your body yesterday, and you need time to recover." Rosalina said.

"I cannot rest! I've wasted too much of the day as is! I must get going. I must… Wait, where is my sword? Where is Falchion?" Lucina wondered.

"You mean this?" Rosalina asked.

The space princess then gestured to a sword in its sheath leaning up against her chair. Lucina got out of bed to claim it, but Rosalina kept it out of her reach.

"Worry not, I shall return it to you. But first, there is someone who wishes to speak with you." Rosalina said.

"…Fine." Lucina grumbled.

With that, Rosalina left the room. Less than a minute later, the door opened again. However, it was not Rosalina who steeped into the room. It was Shulk. Lucina immediately rose to her feet and put an angry expression on her face.

"You! What are you doing here?" She angrily asked.

"I just wanna talk." Shulk responded.

"I have nothing to say to you."

"Nothing? Not about how you worked yourself to exhaustion yesterday? About how you missed several meals? About how you were angry with me for reasons I'm not sure of? Please, I think there's something wrong with you, and I want to help you. But I can't do that if you don't talk to me."

"There is nothing wrong with me! I am just fine! Despite what you think of me, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"'What I think of you?' Lucina, what are you talking about?"

"I overheard you speaking with Ike the other day. You said I was not a strong fighter, how I know little about the world around me and how I do not think before going into a fight." Lucina stated.

"Oh, that" Shulk replied.

"Well, you're wrong about me. I am strong, and I know how the world works. And I will train until I am strong enough to best everyone in the mansion. And nothing you say shall convince me to stop until then."

"Even if I were to say I wasn't talking about you?"

"Wait… you weren't?" Lucina asked, clearly confused.

"No, of course not. I was talking about someone from my homeland. I know that you're plenty strong, and have enough smarts to survive out in the world. Otherwise, you wouldn't have survived all those things you said you did when you told me your story. I never meant any of those things about you." Shulk explained.

"How do I know you're telling the truth, and not just saying this to force me to slow myself down?"

"Think back to what you heard that day. Did you ever hear me say your name while I was talking to Ike?"

"Well… no. I do not. I left right after you said you sometimes could not manage this girl."

"You should've stuck around. It was right after that I told Ike who I was talking about. It was a friend of mine back home named Melia."

"Gods, I feel like such a fool." Lucina said as she buried her face in her hands.

"Hey, it's alright, Lucina. You made a mistake. We all do. You just have to learn from it. Still, I want you to promise me something." Shulk stated, putting a hand on her shoulder and placing her butterfly hair ornament into her hands.

"What might that be, Shulk?"

"Promise me that you'll never put yourself through something like that again. It wasn't easy for me to watch you work yourself to exhaustion. You need your exercise, sure, but not at the expense of your health. Also promise me that if I or anyone else makes you feel like you're not strong enough, you'll just talk to me about it. You don't need to prove yourself to me. We can work things out together."

"You mean that, Shulk?"

"On my life."

"Very well, I promise. I apologize for making you worry, Shulk. And for needlessly holding anger against you." Lucina apologized.

"It's alright, Lucina. Hey, it's almost noon. Let's you 'n' me grab some lunch, yeah?" Shulk offered.

At the mere mention of food, Lucina's stomach began to growl, as it had been deprived of food for far too long.

"That sounds like quite a good idea, Shulk."

Shulk and Lucina then stood up and began walking toward the Mess Hall, hand in hand.

* * *

 **And another one gone, and another one gone, another chapter bites the dust.**

 **The idea for this chapter came about because I wanted to explore something that I really hadn't explored in my other stories. It's not hard to figure out that no relationship is perfect. Misunderstandings will occur and there will be times where the couple gets into arguments and disagreements. It's a simple fact of life. Again, this was something i didn't really explore in my other stories, so I decided to give it a shot.**

 **So, what were your thoughts on this chapter? Was it one of my best? Or just a mediocre one that probably seemed better in my head? Let me know in the comments. If you did like this chapter, consider dropping a follow or favorite if you haven't already. It goes a long way. If you didn't like this one, that's alright too, it just means I have room to improve. Just don't say anything needlessly rude about my story or me. Constructive criticism I will tolerate, hurtful comments, I will not.**

 **On a slightly unrelated note, who here has seen the trailer for** _ **Super Smash Brothers: Ultimate?**_ **Most, if not all of you, I'm assuming. And who here is hyped as all hell for it? I know I am. I'm going to try and be one of the first to buy it once December 7** **th** **rolls around. While I was impressed with the trailer, I was left with several questions about the game.**

 **Sakurai said we shouldn't expect too many new characters since they focused more on bringing everyone back. Does that mean there will be no newcomers aside from the ones they revealed to us already? And if there are newcomers, who will they be? (Please, Sakurai, give me Rex and/or Pyra. I think** _ **Xenoblade**_ **needs more representatives) Now that Snake is back, with his codecs be returning as well? Will it still be the** _ **Kid Icarus**_ **crew? Will it be someone else entirely doing the conversations? Will there be an adventure mode like there was in** _ **Brawl**_ **? (I hope so. I really enjoyed** _ **Subspace Emissary**_ **) And lastly, and I'm sure a few of you reading this have been wondering this as well, will this affect my story at all?**

 **And the answer to that last question is yes, it will. Originally, I had a set idea of how I was going to end this story. As much as I love both Shulk and Lucina, I wasn't afraid to admit to myself that if some characters were going to be cut in Smash 5, those two would probably be among them. Mostly due to the fact that Lucina's a clone, (or 'echo', as they're now being called) and Shulk doesn't have much notoriety outside of Smash. And I was prepared to write my ending around that. However, once I found out I was wrong, I decided to change things up a bit. I won't be adding any extra chapters to this story, though. What I am going to do is, starting chapter after next, I'm going to begin putting in longer and more frequent time jumps, making it so the entire third part of this story takes place during the 'Ultimate' era of Smash. The chapters will start to go from taking place a few months apart, to several months, maybe even over a year apart. How will these chapters play out? Well, stay tuned to find out.**

 **Up next: Some visitors will be returning to the Smash Mansion. I hope to have this chapter out before the end of July.**

 **So, until such time as I have the next chapter published, farewell, my friends.**


	12. Family Day 2

**Hey, guys. How are you? I'm alright. Been better, been worse.**

 **As you probably guessed from the title of this chapter, it is time once again for our Smashers to meet their loved ones. But this time, they won't be talking solely to their own friends and family. You guys knew this was coming, surely. You knew Shulk and Lucina were going to interact with the other's loved ones eventually. Well, here it is at long last. Please enjoy.**

 **Althea Sirius: Cool. I hope to maybe meet you in battle online one day once the game comes out. Also, what were your thoughts on the most recent Smash Direct? Actually, I ask that to all my readers, not just Althea. Leave your thoughts in the comments. If you want my own thoughts, please see my closing author's notes.**

 **Lastly, a PSA: To anyone and everyone out there who either has, or is thinking about leaving offensive or hurtful comments (you know who you are) please don't. I refuse to justify the comments of you douchebags just so you can feel good about being a prick. Any comments you people try to leave on my story will be deleted before they can show up on my review section. And yes, I do have the power to delete comments. Your offensive attacks on me and my story will never see the light of day. So please, save your energy for something other than being a jackass. As I stated, I accept constructive criticism. In fact, I welcome it with open arms. If anyone finds any problems with my story, don't hesitate to tell me. It's the only way I'll learn to improve as a writer. I accept these kinds of comments. What I do** _ **not**_ **accept is outright hate on my stories or me as a writer. Those are the kinds of comments that will be deleted. So again, no hate, please.**

 _ **Super Smash Bros.**_ **© Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai**

* * *

* _Outside Smash Mansion_ *

* _7:55 AM_ *

* * *

Every Smasher who lived in the Mansion was currently standing just beyond the front door, waiting in anticipation for what was to come. It was finally that day again. The day that the friends and family of all the Smashers would be visiting the Smash Mansion. It was Family Day once again.

Near the front of the crowd stood Shulk and Lucina, their hands intertwined with each other. They were both rather anxious for their loved ones to show up. Since the last Family Day, much had happened between them, most of it centering around the fact that they had started dating. It was no secret, too. They had both written letters to their loved ones in their home worlds, telling their friends and family that they were currently in a relationship. They could only imagine how the others had reacted at this revelation. Well, today was the day they would find out.

"I must admit, I'm quite excited to see my family once again. It feels like it's been too long since I've last seen them." Lucina said to her boyfriend.

"Yeah, I got the same feeling. I'm looking forward to seeing all my mates again." Shulk responded.

"I wonder what they will think of me once I am introduced to them."

"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll love you. My friends are a real easy-going lot. Personally, I'm more worried about how your family will react to me."

"Fear not, Shulk. I know that they will be delighted to meet you, and will come to love you just as I have."

"I hope so, Lucina. Say, it's finally on the hour. Shouldn't everyone be arriving right about now?"

On cue, a series of portals opened up several feet away from the crowd of Smashers. Numerous people stepped out of the portals, ready to see their loved ones. One crowd approached the other, all eyes scanning for a familiar face. Shulk and Lucina separated as they walked amongst the crowd of visitors. Ultimately, Shulk was the first to spot his friends.

"Guys!" He shouted.

The three Bionis residents turned their heads toward Shulk. Their eyes then widened and they approached Shulk. They then embraced the Monado wielder in a hug, one by one.

"Shulk! Good to see ya, man!" Shulk's best friend, Reyn shouted.

"It sure is. Hard to believe it's been a whole year since we've seen you." Shulk's mentor, Dunban, commented.

"Has been 2 years since Shulk come here. How Shulk do with 2 years?" Said Shulk's Nopon friend, Riki.

"Pretty good, actually. Speaking of which, how are things back home?" Shulk asked.

"Not bad. It's nice to have a sense of normalcy back. It's been too long. Still, we're all more interested in how life here has been for you. Your letters make it sound like you've been having the time of your life here." Dunban said.

"Yeah, and I bet that ain't just 'cause of the tournament itself." Reyn commented.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shulk asked.

"C'mon, man, we all read that first letter you sent. We know you've been seeing a girl." Reyn replied.

"Oh, yeah. I did write about Lucina, didn't I?" Shulk said.

"So that's how you pronounce her name. Still, we are all curious as to what this Lucina is like." Dunban commented.

"Well, I did promise to introduce you. Still, I'd rather catch up with you guys before looking for her. I don't get to talk with you guys as much, anymore." Shulk responded.

"Fair enough. Let us head inside the mansion, shall we? Lead the way, Shulk." Dunban said.

With that, the 4 Bionis residents walked inside the Smash Mansion to converse.

* * *

Lucina looked around for her family, but all she could see were several unfamiliar faces belonging to the loved ones of the other Smashers. Just as she was about to head inside the mansion to see if they went in there looking for her, she was wrapped in a tight hug from behind.

"Lucy! It's so good to see you again!" Said Lucina's chipper younger sister, Cynthia.

"It is good to see you once again as well, Cynthia. Where are mother and father?" Lucina said as she returned her sister's hug.

"We're right here." Came a voice from behind Cynthia.

Lucina looked up and saw none other than the parents she had gone back in time to save, Chrom and Sumia. She quickly broke away from her sister and went to embrace her parents.

"I'm so glad to be able to see you guys again!" Lucina said as she hugged her parents.

"You too, dear. We haven't seen you in so long. We wish you could home." Sumia replied.

"All the same, it looks like you're still doing pretty good here at Smash Brothers." Chrom said.

"I am, father. Much has changed since you were last here a year ago. I have grown stronger than ever, and I believe I will only get better as the tournament progresses." Lucina responded.

"I don't doubt it, Lucina. Before the day is out, I might have to have a practice spar with you just to see how far you've come." Chrom said.

"I would very much like that, father." Lucina said.

"So, what have you been doing outside of fighting, Lucina? Surely there is more to do here than just fight all the time." Sumia wondered.

"Of course. There are various recreational activities to partake in here. Perhaps you would like to see some?" Lucina offered.

Lucina then led her family toward the Mansion. Once they were inside, the Exalted family couldn't help but look around in awe. Even though they had been here once before, they had forgotten how truly spectacular the Smash Mansion was. Lucina then led them elsewhere in the mansion. As they walked, Cynthia decided to speak up.

"Say, Lucina, what is that thing in your hair? I like it."

Chrom and Sumia turned their attention to their daughter's hair, where a light blue hair ornament rested. They both wondered how they had missed that before.

"It is pretty cute. Where did you get it?" Sumia asked.

"Oh, you like it? It is merely an ornament meant to decorate my hair. It was a birthday gift from Shulk." Lucina answered.

Chrom suddenly stopped in his tracks and his face grew stoic, which somehow went unnoticed by Lucina.

"Shulk. This is the boy you are now dating, is that correct?" Chrom asked warily.

"Yes, father. It has been a great many months since we first began going steady, and I have not been this happy in a long time." Lucina answered, completely oblivious to her father's ever-growing grimace.

"I see. I would very much like to meet this Shulk. I want to ask him a few questions." Chrom said as his hand instinctively wrapped around the hilt of his sword.

"Of course. I would be glad to introduce you. I am sure that you will love him. Come, let us go look for him, shall we?"

Lucina then led her family deeper into the mansion, trying to find Shulk. All the while, Chrom's hand did not leave his sword.

* * *

Shulk had led his friends to the Mess Hall, where he was explaining several things about the tournament that he had not told them last time. He had also told them some interesting stories of what had happened to him since last year, like when he was accidentally poisoned, and the near disaster that his first date with Lucina almost led to.

"So, once we found out we had less than a half hour before the mansion locked its doors for the night, we both ran as fast as we could, hoping that when we got there, it wasn't too late. Luckily, we made it back with only a minute to spare." Shulk explained.

"Doesn't sound so bad." Reyn commented.

"Oh yeah? Well you try running over two miles in less than 30 minutes. It ain't easy." Shulk retorted.

"Fair point." Reyn said.

"Well, aside from that, at least I still had a fun night." Shulk admitted.

"It certainly sounds like it. I'm amazed how much you have become attached to your new girlfriend." Dunban commented.

"Yeah. Lucina's real great once you get to know her." Shulk said.

"Speaking of, ain't it about time we got to meet her?" Reyn asked.

"I suppose you're right, Reyn. Alright, you lot wait here. I got to use the loo, but after that, I'll look for Lucina and bring her here." Shulk stated.

With that, Shulk rose from his seat and walked out of the Mess Hall and toward the nearest restroom. He hoped that Lucina would not be too difficult to track down. The Smash Mansion was a big place, after all.

* * *

Lucina and her family were just passing in front of the Mess Hall. The blue haired princess had yet to find her boyfriend, and was running out of places to look for him. She had checked all of Shulk's favorite spots in and around the mansion, and still no luck.

"Where could he be?" Lucina wondered aloud.

"Perhaps he is in this room. We haven't looked here yet." Cynthia chimed in.

"I'm not sure what Shulk would be doing in the Mess Hall. Lunch isn't for another hour." Lucina responded.

"Oh, this is the Mess Hall? Would you mind too terribly going in and getting me something to drink, dear? I'm starting to get parched." Sumia asked.

"Not at all, mother. You guys wait here. I'll be right back." Lucina said.

Lucina then entered the Mess Hall and headed over to a drink counter. As she was walking in, she saw two people and a fuzzy looking creature sitting not too far away from her, making conversation amongst themselves. Lucina figured they were some of the mansion's visitors, but she couldn't see any of the other Smashers near them, so what were they doing here alone? Lucina pushed the thought from her mind as she started walking out with a cup of tea for her mother. As she walked, she still couldn't help but think about how she had yet to find her boyfriend.

"Where could Shulk possibly be?" She again asked herself.

"Oi! You there! You looking for Shulk?" One of the people in the room asked her, having heard her question.

"I am. Who are you? Do you know him?" Lucina asked the one speaking to her as she approached him, while setting her mother's drink on a different table.

"I should hope so, he's only my best friend, after all." The muscular speaker said to her.

"Really? Are all of you from his home world as well?" Lucina asked.

"Yes, we are from Bionis. I am Dunban, Shulk's good friend. This here is Reyn." Dunban gestured to the muscular young man to his left.

"Hey." Reyn replied.

"And this is Riki." Dunban continued, pointing to the Nopon warrior to his right.

"Hello! Riki is very happy to meet new friend!" Riki chimed in.

"Hello. It is a pleasure to meet all of you." Lucina greeted.

"Now, who, may I ask, are you?" Dunban inquired.

"My name is Lucina." The future princess responded.

"Wait a sec. You're Lucina? You're the one Shulk's been telling us about!" Reyn exclaimed.

"Really? I didn't know he had spoken of me to his friends back home. Do you know where he is now?" Lucina asked.

"You just missed him. Said he was gonna look for you so he could introduce you to us." Reyn explained.

"Oh. I wonder when he'll be back." Lucina stated.

"He'll be along soon enough. While we wait, why don't we get to know each other a bit?" Dunban suggested.

"Very well. What would you like to know about me?" Lucina asked as she sat down at the table with the Bionis residents.

"Well, for starters, how did you and Shulk meet?" Reyn asked.

"Well, it was nothing too special. I had only just arrived at the mansion and had gotten lost trying to find my room." Lucina started.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside the Mess Hall, Lucina's family was still waiting for her. They were unaware that she had started a conversation with her boyfriend's visiting friends.

"She's been in there an awfully long time. What could be taking so long?" Sumia wondered.

"I don't know, dear. Maybe one of us should go in after her." Chrom suggested.

"Yes, we probably should. We must get a move on." Sumia responded.

"Er, pardon me, could I squeeze by you?"

The Exalted family turned to see who was speaking. It was a young man with blonde hair and an odd red sword on his back. He looked as though he was trying to get into the Mess Hall. They then realized they were blocking the door that led to the Mess Hall. The three members of Ylissean royalty immediately moved out of the way.

"Apologies, sir. We didn't realize we were blocking your path." Chrom stated.

"No worries. You didn't mean it." The young man said as he walked toward the doors to the Mess Hall.

"Excuse me, sir, but could I ask a quick favor from you? If you see a blue haired girl named Lucina in there, could you please tell her that her family is still waiting for her out here?" Sumia asked.

"Hang on, do you guys know Lucina?" The blonde asked.

"We're her family. How do you know her? Who are you?" Chrom asked warily.

"Oh, you're her family? Well, I'm Shulk." The young man replied.

"Wait a minute, you're Shulk?" Sumia asked.

"You're the one my big sister is dating?" Cynthia exclaimed.

"I am. It's nice to meet you all." Shulk responded, hand outstretched toward Chrom.

"I see. It is… nice to meet you as well." Chrom said in a deadpan voice, while also refusing to take Shulk's hand.

"Chrom, be nice." Sumia scolded.

"Anyway, my name is Sumia. I'm Lucina's mother. This is my husband, Chrom. And this is my other daughter, Cynthia." She introduced.

"Well, charmed to meet the lot of you." Shulk responded.

"You too! I've been wanting to meet my big sister's new boyfriend for a long time now. We were just looking for you before we stopped here." Cynthia stated.

"Really? Well, it looks like I saved you the trouble." Shulk replied.

"It seems so. Lucina has been wanting to get us to meet you for quite a while. Now that we've met, why don't we talk for a bit? I want to know all about who my daughter's dating." Sumia said.

"As do I. And while we're at it, I want to ask you a few questions. Come, let us walk." Chrom stated in a slightly threatening voice.

As he spoke, Chrom placed his hand on his sword once again. All of a sudden, a shiver of fear ran through Shulk's body as he began walking with his girlfriend's family.

* * *

Lucina was walking down the halls of the Smash Mansion, the three residents of Bionis surrounding her. They went back and forth, discussing many things about Shulk and each other. The blue haired princess was just telling a story about how she had first become close to Shulk.

"So, when did ya first figure out you liked Shulk, eh?" Reyn asked.

"I admit, that is a rather difficult question. I believe my attraction to him began when he saved my life from a large monster made of metal from his homeworld during a match. One that Shulk claims to have fought before. Nevertheless, we managed to best the beast. After that, as we spent more time with each other, my admiration for him only grew larger. I simply find him fascinating. His endless tales of his home are what first got us conversing, as they are not too dissimilar to my own." Lucina replied.

"I see. Very fascinating. So, what all has Shulk revealed about his home, if I may ask." Dunban said.

"He has told me much. Shortly after we met, he told me of the journey he went on to defeat Zanza. He also spoke much of all of you and all his other friends. He thinks very highly of you." Lucina answered.

"Riki happy that Shulk think of friends lots and lots. Shulk is very nice. Riki also think that Lucina is very nice." Riki said.

"Yeah, the furball's right. You ain't half bad. I can see why Shulk likes you." Reyn chimed in.

"I appreciate the sentiment. But do tell me, how did all of you come to be acquainted with Shulk?" Lucina asked.

"Well, Shulk and I have been best friends for about our entire lives. Can't really remember how we first met, it was so long ago, but we've been through Hell and back together. Wouldn't trade him for the world." Reyn answered.

"I see. And what of you, Dunban?" Lucina asked.

"Personally, I'd like to move the conversation away from Shulk for a while. As I stated earlier, I want to learn more about you. All you've told us so far are your adventures with Shulk. But surely there is more to learn about you than just what you have done with him." Dunban commented.

"Well, while you are correct that I have done more outside of this tournament, I must tell you that I do not feel like revealing that information. I'm sorry. My past was rather… troubling. I actually remember being asked something similar by Shulk once, and I gave him a similar answer." Lucina said.

"That does sound like something Shulk would say. Still, I am sorry if I said something to offend you. I just wanted to get to know the girl he was dating a little better." Dunban replied.

"Yeah, me too. Shame that we only get one day a year to come here. Still, if Shulk likes you, that's good enough for me." Reyn commented.

"Reyn right. If Lucina important to Shulk, then Lucina important to Riki. Still, day not over. Lots of time left for talking to Lucina." Riki said.

"Thank you all very much for your kindness toward me. Shulk was right about you. You are all very kind. However, I cannot help but feel like I have kept you from Shulk for much of today." Lucina said.

"Forget about it. He said he would introduce us to you, and he delivered. I'm sure he'd be happy we were talking. Still, I can't help but wonder where he is. Havent seen him since he said he'd go looking for you. What's say we go and find him, yeah?" Reyn commented.

"Yes, I believe that is a good idea. Let us be off." Lucina said as she and the Bionis residents began walking through the mansion looking for Shulk.

* * *

Shulk was currently in the Smash Mansion's living room, with Lucina's family around him. He had been talking to them for the past hour, learning much about his girlfriend's family, while they were learning about him. However, Shulk couldn't help but notice that Lucina's father had hardly said anything outside the occasional question. Chrom instead opted to just keep staring at him, as if silently judging the boy. While he was staring at Shulk, his wife was asking Shulk another question.

"So, what do you and my daughter enjoy doing together?" Sumia asked.

"Well, since this is a fighting tournament, we both like honing our skills and getting better with our weapons. Sometimes we fight together, sometimes against each other, sometimes not with each other at all. But either way, it's all in good fun. Outside of that, we just like to sit, relax, and talk with each other. I find her and the stories she tells fascinating." Shulk answered.

"That sounds nice. What are some of the things you two talk about?" Sumia replied.

"Some of our favourite things to talk about are stories of our homes, our different cultures, and recently we've been getting to talking about fighting styles. We've been giving each other a few new tips about swordplay. The style we use on Bionis is so much different from the one from her home." Shulk answered.

"Bionis? Is this what you call your home?"

"Yeah. Great place. Sometimes I find myself missing it a lot, but I suppose that's what today is for. Reconnecting with home, yeah?"

"Yep! That's why we came to see Lucy. So anyway, do you two do anything else together? You guys have to do more than just talk." Cynthia asked.

"Well, when we want a little time for ourselves, we head out to Smashville, a town not far from the mansion. Sometimes living in a mansion with over 50 other fighters can get a little crazy. So we go there and do whatever the town has to offer. Lucina's particularly fond of the movie theater." Shulk replied.

"Movie theater?" Sumia asked, clearly confused.

"Oh. Well, never mind it. Explaining would take too long." Shulk said.

"Oh, ok. Still, you two seem to have a really close bond." Sumia stated.

"We do. Since I've come to this tournament and met her, I've been feeling happier than I have in ages. It's been loads of fun." Shulk replied.

"You really are a charming boy, Shulk. Wouldn't you agree, Chrom?" Sumia asked.

Chrom merely stared at Shulk, still refusing to say a word. Shulk was feeling more mand more unsettled by Chrom's behavior. Finally, the blue haired man stood up and approached Shulk.

"Chrom?" Sumia repeated.

"I admit, speaking with you has taught me much about you. But not quite enough to convince me. I heard much of what you said from Lucina's last boyfriend. And he turned out to be nothing more than a shameless philanderer. And since I've known you for less time, how do I know you're not the same way, and just putting on a façade to fool us? How do I know you're strong enough for Lucina?" Chrom asked.

"Chrom!" Sumia angrily shouted.

"What do I have to do to win your trust?" Shulk asked.

"Well, there is one thing." Chrom stated.

With that, Chrom again reached for his sword. As soon as his hand touched the hilt, Shulk's eyes began to glow. He was having a vision.

* * *

" _People tend to show their true selves when they're looking down the blade of a sword." Chrom stated._

 _The Exalt then drew his sword and swiped it at Shulk. The Monado wielder was knocked to the ground by the attack while Sumia and Cynthia looked on in shock._

* * *

Shulk's eyes lost their glow as he was returned to reality. He then saw Chrom with a hand on his sword.

"People tend to show their true selves when they're looking down the blade of a sword." Chrom stated.

The Exalt then drew his sword and swiped it at Shulk. With lightning reflexes, Shulk pulled the Monado off his back and without even activating it, blocked Chrom's blade. The pair exchanged a couple more blows before Chrom stepped back.

"Chrom, what are you doing?!" Sumia screamed.

"Are you mad?!" Shulk shouted.

"So, you seem to be plenty strong as a fighter, I'll give you that. Still, why should I give you my blessing?" Chrom said.

"I might not have been seeing Lucina for very long, but I'm not about to give up on her. I care about her far too much to ever do that. I've already fought a giant Mechon to keep her safe. Not to mention all those times we've teamed up in battle here. I'll fight off anyone to keep her safe, even though she's more than capable of taking care of herself. And if I have to go through you too, then fine." Shulk exclaimed.

With that, Shulk finally activated the Monado, extending the blue energy blade toward Chrom. In retaliation, Chrom sheathed his sword, much to everyone's shock and confusion.

"Very well, I'm convinced." Chrom stated.

"Really, just like that?" Shulk asked, clearly confused.

"I'm not sure what Lucina told you about her previous boyfriend, or if she told you anything. But he was a shameless flirt. That is what ultimately cost him his relationship with my daughter. He would have done nearly anything to chat up a pretty woman. But he never would have had the courage to face me like you just did. He always seemed intimidated by me. But you, you're willing to fight me just to stay with her. I'm impressed by your determination." Chrom explained.

"Well, thank you, Chrom." Shulk said as he deactivated the Monado and put it on his back.

"Well, would ya look at that? Never thought I'd hear you say something like that, Shulk. Not that I'm surprised, you've always been pretty strong in that department."

The Exalted family and Shulk turned to see who was talking, and they was Lucina standing with Shulk's friends from Bionis.

"Guys! How long have you been standing there?" Shulk asked.

"Long enough. The man with blue hair is correct. People do tend to show who they really are when they have a weapon to their throat, staring at the possibility of death. Fortunately, you've always been ready to fight and die for those you love." Dunban answered.

"Riki want to help Shulk when he start fighting, but Reyn and Dundun say Shulk capable of handling himself." Riki chimed in.

"And they were correct. You truly are a great fighter, Shulk. That is what drew me to your side. Very few are capable of standing up to my father the way you did." Lucina said.

"Thank you, everyone. Your words mean the world to me." Shulk stated.

"No problem, man. We only that stuff 'cause it's true." Reyn said.

"Yeah. Anyway, we probably don't have much time left before Master Hand sends the rest of you home, so we best make due with what time we have left." Shulk pointed out.

* * *

The residents of Bionis and Ylisse spent the rest of their time at the mansion conversing with each other about various topics until Master Hand called an end to Family Day. The group then made their way outside the Smash Mansion, where they found portals ready to take them home until next year. Before they actually walked through, everyone turned around for one last goodbye.

"Well, take care, man. We all miss ya back home." Reyn said.

"I know, but like I said last year, everyone will go home eventually. It's only a matter of time." Shulk replied.

"Well, until that time comes, take care of yourself, Shulk." Dunban replied.

"Riki say Shulk should also take care of Lucina. She very nice lady. Riki like her." The Nopon added.

"I will. See you later, guys." Shulk said.

With that, Reyn, Riki, and Dunban stepped through their portal to home before it closed behind them. Shulk then turned toward Lucina, who was just finishing goodbyes with her family. Sumia and Cynthia had already gone through the portal, but Chrom lingered. Shulk then approached his girlfriend.

"Goodbye, Lucina. I hope to hear from you soon. Farewell to you as well, Shulk. Just know that if I ever hear of you doing anything to hurt Lucina, I will find a way here and make you regret it." Chrom threatened.

"Duly noted." Shulk said.

Chrom then stepped through the portal and it disappeared. Shulk and Lucina then started to walk toward the mansion to prepare for bed. But before they retreated into their rooms, Lucina stopped to ask Shulk a question.

"Shulk, did you mean all those thing you said about me when my father drew his sword on you?"

"Every word. Why do you ask?"

"I've never known anyone outside my family to show me that much care and affection."

"Well, I said those things because I truly meant them. I truly do care about you, Lucina. In fact, since we've started dating, I've learned so much about you that I can't help but tell you that there's so much about you that I love."

"W-what?" Lucina asked.

"Alright, I said it. We've been together long enough that I truly do feel like I love you. And I only hope you feel the same."

"Shulk, I must admit, for quite some time, I've been feeling something new toward you, and I never knew what it was, but now I do. I love you too. I have for quite some time. I only needed to hear you say it before I realized what it was. I've never been quite strong in discussing emotions such as this. But I hope that I will get better at showing…"

Shulk interrupted Lucina by giving her a quick kiss on her cheek. She suddenly silenced and turned stiff as a statue, while having a bright blush on her face.

"O-oh my." Lucina finally chocked out.

"Well, good night, Lucina." Shulk said as he entered his bedroom.

"Y-yes. Good night, Shulk." Lucina repeated as she did the same.

* * *

 **Hey, ZachaRicO, I'm starting to think you were right about the second third of the story being the weakest. Oh well, I only have a couple more chapters before I step into something a little bit more in my comfort zone.**

 **Also, sorry this took so long to get out. Recently, I've been having some issues concerning the wi-fi connection at my house. Issues that still haven't been entirely resolved. Still, hopefully the next chapter won't take as long to get out.**

 **I know that this was a little too similar to the other Family Day chapter, but rest assured, I don't plan to do something like this again. While there will be other chapters set during Family Day, I have radically different plans for how those will play out. They will not be following the same pattern as this and chapter 6.**

 **Nevertheless, I do hope everyone found some enjoyment in this chapter. If not, well, don't worry, things will be spiced up soon. But again, don't leave me any unnecessary rudeness in the comments. I will dispose of those.**

 **On a slightly more positive note, I have officially passed the one year anniversary of this story. Yay me! I hope that by this time next year, I will have more than 12 more chapters of this great story posted. Only time will tell.**

 **Before I wrap this up, I have one more announcement. As promised, here are my personal thoughts on the most recent Smash Direct.**

 **First off, wow, five new characters? That was quite surprising to me. Adding them on to the others revealed before, that means at this point, there are 8 confirmed newcomers. And Sakurai said there are still more to come. I was not expecting this. Back during the E3 Smash video, he said we shouldn't expect too many newcomers. With that in mind, I expected maybe 5 or 6 newcomers. But now we have almost double that amount. By the time the game is released, I bet there actually will be double that amount, if not more (keeping my fingers crossed for Rex/Pyra BTW). I was especially surprised at Chrom being revealed. He was about the last person I expected to show up in Smash. Nevertheless, he's here, and I am happy he got in. And yes, once this story moves on to the Ultimate era of Smash, he will be making more appearances. But until then, he will remain mostly a character only brought up in passing. This does beg the question, what will Robin's Final Smash be now? If I had my way, it would be the same, only instead of Chrom, a different character from** _ **Awakening**_ **would show up each time. I might use it once and see Gaius fight with Robin, but then I might use it again, only this time, it's Cordelia.**

 **Next, 103 stages? Color me impressed. I never thought they'd reach that number of stages. And the fact that all of them will be available from the get go is surprising, not that I'm complaining. I look forward to trying all of them out, especially that new stage switch feature. That was a true shock.**

 **I also really like all those new items, Assist Trophies, and Pokémon. I'm going to have a blast using all of those. I hope more will be revealed before the game is released.**

 **Lastly, about that blurred out green area of the main menu. What could it be? Well I, along with most everyone else, believe (hope) it's some sort of Story Mode like** _ **Subspace Emissary**_ **was for** _ **Brawl.**_ **But even if this turns out not to be the case, that doesn't necessarily mean there won't be a Story Mode. If memory serves,** _ **Subspace**_ **was not directly accessible from the main menu of** _ **Brawl.**_ **You had to go to the single player mode and get to it from there. So if that green part isn't a Story Mode, hopefully there will still be one. But still, if it's not a Story Mode, what is it? What are you playing at, Sakurai?**

 **Well, that about wraps it up. Coming up next on this story, summer might be over, but that doesn't mean I can't still write about some fun in the sun. Originally, I was going to have the next chapter be a celebration of Shulk's birthday. Pretty much the same as chapter 9, but with Shulk as the focus. However, I eventually decided that this would be kind of dumb and repetitive. This chapter here is already sort of repetitive of chapter 6, I didn't want to do that twice in a row. With that said, be on the lookout for a rewrite of chapter 9, featuring my original idea for that chapter.**

 **Until next time, my lovely readers, fare thee well.**


	13. Pool party

**Hey.**

 **Althea Sirius: Here's another update for you.**

 **Micbot37: Glad you found that joke funny. I really should bring Crazy Hand back sometime.**

 _ **Super Smash Bros.**_ **© Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai**

* * *

* _Smash Mansion Main Hall_ *

* _9:00 AM_ *

* * *

Shulk and Lucina were heading down to check out their fighting schedules for next week. As they walked, they conversed over how far they had both truly come in all the time that's passed since this tournament started.

"So, you really think you could consider yourself the strongest fighter in your world?" Lucina asked.

"I do. Not that others from my world aren't incredibly strong, and I wouldn't have gotten where I am now without 'em, but do they have over 3 years of experience against countless fighters from other universes? Learned how to hold their own against so many different and unfamiliar fighting styles? No. What about you? Do you think you've gotten any better since you got here?" Shulk asked.

"Yes. Before the war against Grima ended, I would often challenge my father to sparring matches in order to improve my own skills. He always bested me, though. However, I do feel like the next time we meet in mock battle, I will win. Still, I don't know if I would call myself the strongest."

"Well, everyone has their opinions, I suppose. Anyway, let's get a look at what we get to deal with this week."

The couple got a good look at who they would be fighting this week. Shulk was somewhat worried about over his Monday brawl against Donkey Kong, Mewtwo, and Bowser, but was determined to give his all against the heavyweights. Likewise, Lucina didn't like her odds in an 8 man Smash she was to take part in on Wednesday. However, there was one thing in particular that caught both their eyes. On Friday, there were no fights listed. On that section of the schedule, the only thing listed was ' _Off Day. Pool._ ' Both Shulk and Lucina were puzzled.

"What does that mean? 'Off day'? Master Hand never gives everyone a full day off at once, minus Family Day. But that's months away." Shulk stated.

"Also, what does he mean by 'pool'?" Lucina asked.

"It's probably referring to the swimming pool out behind the mansion. But what does that have to do with this?"

As they were talking, another Smasher by the name of Lucas came up to look at the schedule for himself. As soon as he saw the bit about the off day, his face brightened.

"Yes! He finally did it!" Lucas shouted with joy.

"What are you talking about?" Shulk asked the boy.

"Well, recently, Ness, Toon Link, and I asked if we could all just have a day off and have a pool party sometime. It took a while, but it looks like he finally said yes." Lucas answered before walking off.

Shulk and Lucina were left thinking about what they just heard. While they had both seen the other Smashers use the pool on numerous occasions, neither of them had ever really checked it out for themselves. They both had other ways they liked to occupy their free time.

Still, Shulk reasoned that perhaps this could be fun. It was currently the hottest part of summer, so perhaps it would be nice to enjoy the sun while also keeping cool. He now looked forward to this upcoming pool party.

"Well, this should prove to be a fun little distraction from all the fighting we usually do." He stated.

"Indeed. And I hope all who attend enjoy it." Lucina responded.

"Wait, you saying you're not going?"

"I don't plan to. There are other ways I think I'll spend my time that day."

"Suit yourself. I just think you ought to come. There's more to this tournament than just fighting. It's also about making new friends with people from other worlds. Maybe you and I should spend time with our friends here. Also, I think you could stand to relax some. Everyone needs to take a load off every once in a while."

Lucina thought over Shulk's words. While she still felt like she'd rather do other things than waste time at the pool, she admitted Shulk was right. This whole tournament was meant to be fun, Master Hand himself said so. She also recalled the numerous times she had almost overworked herself while fighting the war against Grima with her father. Every time she did, either Chrom or one of her other allies would either ask or force her to take it easy for a while. And she had to admit, it did wonders for her once she returned to action. Perhaps a pleasant break could prove useful.

"Very well, I shall go. But I don't think there will be much I'll be able to do."

"Why's that?" Shulk asked.

"Unfortunately, when packing for the journey here, I neglected to bring any kind of swimwear." Lucina answered.

"Maybe I could help."

Shulk and Lucina turned their heads to see who was speaking. Standing not far from them was none other than the Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom.

"Peach? How long have you been standing there?" Shulk asked.

"Long enough. Sorry for listening in, but I think I can help. When I came here, I came with a number of swimsuits. I'm certain one of them would fit you, Lucina." Peach replied.

"Very well. Let me see what you have." Lucina said.

"OK, then. Come with me. Shulk, care to come so you can see which one looks best on her?" Peach said.

"Nah. I got a match in 5 minutes I need to head towards. But you ladies have fun." Shulk responded before walking off.

"Alright, follow me to my room and let's see if we can find something for you." Peach stated as she led Lucina to her room.

* * *

Before long, Friday had arrived. Many of the Smashers were already down at the pool enjoying themselves. Master Hand's promised pool party had arrived. However, there were a select few who were not yet enjoying said party. Shulk stood outside Lucina's door, wearing only a t-shirt and a pair of swim trunks. He knocked on the door and called out for his girlfriend.

"Lucina? You in there? Are you ready to go?" He asked.

"On second thought, I don't think I'm going. Go without me." She called from behind her door.

"What? Why not? Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine, but I don't feel like going anymore. I'm not sure about how I look. It feels too revealing."

"Come on, now. I'm sure you look great. No need to be shy."

Shulk stood there in silence for a few seconds. He was about to say something, but then he heard the door opening from the other side. Lucina slowly stepped out and let Shulk get a good look at her. She was wearing a simple two-piece bikini that hugged her curves and showed off her figure quite nicely. It was dark blue in color, almost the same as her hair. Shulk had to admit, she looked amazing. Conversely, Lucina couldn't help but look down in embarrassment over her appearance.

"See what I mean? I feel overly exposed. It feels humiliating. Why Peach has something like this, I will never know." Lucina stated.

"Actually, I think you look rather lovely." Shulk said as he wrapped his arm around his girlfriend's now exposed waist.

"Really?"

"Yeah. You couldn't have chosen a better swimsuit. And I guarantee that no one will think badly of you once we get down there."

"…Alright. Let's go." Lucina said after a bit of uncertainty.

The pair then walked out of the mansion's back doors and past the back patio and to the pool area. It was a fairly large pool complete with a diving board and even a small water slide. There were also several deck chairs and tables with deck umbrellas which offered a great view of the gardens that were just beyond the pool. Almost all of the Smashers were either in the pool or around it. Most of them were wearing some manner of swimwear, while others were still in their normal clothes, and some, like Kirby and Sonic, looked no different as they never wore any clothes. Everyone seemed to be engaged in some form of activity, be it playing a game, just floating around, or chatting with others. Lucina noticed that all the girls of the mansion were wearing bikinis similar to her's, which made her feel a little less self-conscious.

Once they arrived, Shulk peeled off his t-shirt and threw it on one of the deck chairs. Lucina looked over at him and couldn't help but blush. She had never seen Shulk without a shirt on, and never imagined that he had such a toned chest or such defined abs. Maybe not as toned as Ryu's or Captain Falcon's, but still, Lucina felt like she was hypnotized by them.

"Lucina? You OK?" Shulk asked, having caught her staring at him.

Lucina snapped out of her trance and turned away from Shulk out of embarrassment, her blush getting even brighter.

"I-it's nothing, Shulk." She stammered.

Shulk knew she was lying, and even had a good idea as to why she was staring at him. But, he decided not to bug her about the issue. Not yet, anyway.

"Right. Anyway, let's get going." He responded.

With that, Shulk made his way into the pool, with Lucina following close behind. The water seemed bitter cold at first, but they soon got used to it and found how nicely it felt against standing in the hot sun. As they both started to relax, they swam a little further into the pool. They came across the Villager swimming around while talking to Palutena.

"Ah, this feels so good. It really feels like the water is soaking all my troubles away." Palutena stated.

"Oh, I agree. I feel like I could stay in here and relax forever. Oh, hello Shulk. Hello Lucina." Villager said.

"Hello." Lucina greeted.

"Hey guys. What're you talking about?" Shulk replied.

"Oh, we were just talking about how nice the water is. I needed this. In between all my Smash battles and my duties as a goddess, I really needed a break." Palutena answered.

"I agree. Being mayor of a city on top of Smash Brothers gets tiring. I'm so glad Master Hand agreed to this pool party."

"I admit, this is quite relaxing. I never knew how much I needed this until now." Lucina added.

"Yeah, it's great to be spending time with friends like this. I'm glad to be doing it outside of battle." Shulk said as he held Lucina close to him.

"However, if you don't mind me asking, what is it you do as a goddess, Palutena? I'm quite curious what a deity's daily life is." Lucina asked.

"Well, I'm certain it's nothing like those in your world, at least based on what I've heard from Marth. The other gods and goddesses from my world are… quite special. As the goddess of light, I typically just look out for the mortals of the world, and protect them from danger, and make sure their lives are relatively nice, usually with Pit's help. It might not sound like much, but it can get pretty stressful at times. But a nice soak is just what I need to take those cares away." Palutena stated.

"Sounds like being a goddess is a lot like being a mayor." Villager added.

"Really? What is it you do, Villager?" Shulk asked.

"I run a town. Not to dissimilar to Smashville, actually. I have to run all the public works and systems, see that my city's people are happy, and make sure everything stays in order." Villager answered.

"Interesting. Can't say we have anything like that back on Bionis." Shulk said.

"Nor can I. The way we run villages in Ylisse is very different." Lucina added.

"Well, to each their own, I suppose. Still, that's what makes this place so interesting. So many different people from so many different worlds coming together." Palutena said.

"True, but it's a shame that most of what we do with each other is fight." Villager pointed out.

"Perhaps, but maybe that's why Master Hand agreed to this pool party, so we could kick back and relax, talk with our friends, loosen up. I only wish the water was a little warmer, like a nice hot spring from Skyworld." Palutena replied.

"Well, have you tried the hot tub?" Shulk asked.

"Hot tub?" Palutena repeated.

"Yeah, over there." Shulk said as he pointed to a steaming tub over on the patio that Mario and Peach were currently relaxing in.

"I see. If you'll excuse me…" Palutena started before jumping out of the pool and running over to the hot tub.

"I think I'll check it out as well. See you guys later." Villager said as he got out of the pool as well.

* * *

With that, Shulk and Lucina swam deeper into the pool themselves. They passed by many other Smashers as they headed for the other end of the pool. They stopped when they heard a splash come from next to them and both of them got their hair soaked by said splash. The couple turned their heads in the direction of the splash and saw Corrin and Little Mac emerge from under the water. They also saw Zelda sitting atop Link's shoulders, both looking pretty proud of themselves.

"What's going on here?" Lucina asked.

"Oh, Link and I just won another round of Chicken." Zelda stated.

"Chicken?" Shulk asked.

"Yes. It's a game Ness told us about. Two people sit on someone else's shoulders and try to knock each other off their partner's shoulders. Whoever falls in the water first loses. Care to play a round?" Link offered.

"It's tempting, I'll admit. However, I believe I will pa-AAAAHHHHH!" Lucina shrieked.

As she was talking, Shulk dove under the water and positioned Lucina's legs so they were around his shoulders. He then rose from the water, taking Lucina up with him. They were now in a similar position to Link and Zelda.

"S-Shulk! What are you doing?! Put me down!" Lucina yelled.

"C'mon, Lucina, don't be like that. Let's have a go at this game. It could be fun." Shulk responded.

"* _sigh_ * Very well. Let us get started." Lucina said.

Shulk and Link then approached each other, the girls on top of them ready to do mock battle. Zelda struck first, trying to push Lucina by her shoulders. However, Lucina managed to grab Zelda's hands before the blow could be landed. Zelda struggled to get her arms free while Lucina struggled to hold onto them. Both Link and Shulk were having some difficulty keeping their balance with the girls struggling, but they managed to stay up.

Lucina then landed a blow just above Zelda's chest, almost knocking her off balance. Still, she managed to stay on Link's shoulders and keep fighting. The Hylian princess again lunged for Lucina, but the blue haired princess managed to hold Zelda back. She then grabbed the back of Zelda's neck and pulled forward, attempting to make her and Link fall face first into the water. Ultimately, Zelda managed to pull away from Lucina's grasp and made ready to continue the battle.

Zelda again tried to strike Lucina off of Shulk's shoulders, but Lucina managed to block all of her blows. Not many people knew, but while she preferred to fight with a sword, Lucina was fairly adept in hand to hand combat. She managed to parry one of Zelda's blows and then went on the offensive. She grabbed Zelda's arms and attempted to push her off Link once again, but Zelda managed to wrestle her arms free and block Lucina's attacks.

Another blow toward Lucina's shoulders was blocked by the future princess, but then Zelda went lower and tried landing a blow on Lucina's stomach, but it too, was blocked. Zelda again lunged forward to strike Lucina. However, Lucina managed to stop her attack by grabbing Zelda's wrists and holding them in place. Lucina then pulled Zelda's arms forward, almost sending her and Link head first into the water. Lucina then pushed her opponent's arms back with all her might while simultaneously landing a blow on Zelda's shoulders. The resulting force of both blows managed to knock Zelda off Link's shoulders, sending her falling into the water with a splash.

A handful of Smashers had gathered around to watch the game of Chicken. As soon as Zelda fell into the water, the spectating Smashers began to cheer for their victors. Shulk then ducked under the water and moved Lucina's legs off of his shoulders before rising out of the water.

"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" Shulk asked.

"Actually, it was rather enjoyable. I would not mind doing it again. Shall we?" Lucina answered.

"Perhaps later. I think I'm gonna get out for a while, my skin is starting to prune." Shulk responded.

"Very well. I think I'll stay in and talk with the others for a while." Lucina said.

"Suit yourself. I'll catch you later." Shulk said before swimming out of the pool.

* * *

The rest of the day passed by fairly quickly. It was spent by all having a good time, though. Pleasant conversations were had, snacks were enjoyed, tans were made, and games were played (including several more rounds of Chicken, all of which Shulk and Lucina won.). Eventually the sun began to set beyond the horizon, and several Smashers started to head in for the evening. However, some of them decided to stay out a little longer to look up at the night sky and enjoy the cool air. Most were standing either around the pool or on the patio, holding conversations with their friends. There was, however, one blonde Smasher sitting alone in the hot tub, letting the warm water relax him.

"Ah, now this is nice. Just some peace and quiet time. I think I needed this." Shulk muttered to himself.

"So, I take it that you don't wish to be disturbed then." Lucina stated, pulling Shulk from his thoughts.

Shulk couldn't help but smile at his beautiful girlfriend. He then motioned for her to enter the hot tub with him.

"Nah, I wouldn't mind some company, so long as it's you. C'mon in." Shulk said.

Lucina then slowly made her way into the hot tub. She put her left foot in first, recoiling for a second at the temperature of the water, before putting it in again, then put in her right foot, then the rest of her body. The hot water stung a bit at first, but she soon began to relax in it. She then made her way to Shulk's side, who then put an arm around his girlfriend.

"The stars tonight are quite lovely, don't you think?" Lucina asked.

"Yeah, they are. Almost as lovely as you." Shulk answered.

"S-Shulk!" Lucina stammered with a blush.

"Come on, now. Is it so wrong to say how beautiful you are, Lucy? If it is, I don't wanna be right." Shulk said before planting a kiss on Lucina's cheek.

Lucina's blush only deepened at this. As soon as he broke away from her cheek, Shulk held Lucina closer to him.

"You're too good to me, Shulk." Lucina said.

"I try to be."

"I admit, there are times when I wonder what I've done to deserve someone such as you." Lucina confessed.

"Sometimes I wonder the same thing. But I suppose that's why it works." Shulk answered.

"What do you mean?"

"We've both had hard pasts, demons we had to beat, and obstacles to overcome. It wasn't easy, but we did it. And I say we both deserve this kind of happiness. So I think that's part of the reason why this works. We were both able to find happiness and comfort in one another. Happiness and comfort that we desperately needed after everything we've been through. You get what I mean?"

"Well, when you put it like that, I suppose it makes sense. I do feel like I needed some comfort and joy in my life after what happened to me in the past. And you have more than provided me with that kind of comfort and joy. So, thank you, Shulk." Lucina stated as she got even closer to Shulk.

"Not at all. And thanks for making me happy, Lucy. I love you."

At those words, both Shulk and Lucina leaned in for a tender kiss. Once they broke apart, they stared into each other's eyes for some time before Shulk spoke up again.

"Well, it is starting to get late, what's say we head in for the night?"

"Yes, I believe that is a good idea. Hold on, did I bring a towel?" Lucina asked.

"I don't see one, and it seems I forgot one for myself also. Hang on, I'll get a couple. Wait here." Shulk said.

Shulk then exited the hot tub and walked over to the towel rack. He shivered slightly over the cool air, and the fact that he had just walked out of a pool of hot water. He returned to the hot tub with a towel around him, and another one held out for Lucina. She then walked out of the hot tub herself and took the towel Shulk had offered her and wrapped it around herself. She then looked up at Shulk.

"Thank you, Shulk."

"No problem. I must say, I'm glad that they have such large and thick towels here. It makes getting dry so much better."

"No, I mean, thank you for convincing me to come out here today. I did not know how much I needed to relax until now. I would very much like to come out here again sometime."

"Oh, well, you're welcome. And I wouldn't mind coming out here with you again. Just let me know if you want to, and if I'm free, I'll come with."

"That sounds fantastic. But for now, we should be going inside."

Shulk and Lucina then turned and walked inside the Smash Mansion, hand in hand, both having felt that this day was well spent.

* * *

 **Later.**


	14. Nightmares

**Hello everybody, how you doing? It is time once again to get another chapter of this story out onto the internet for all to see.**

 **Since the last chapter was mostly lighthearted fun and games, I decided to make this chapter a bit more on the darker side. Though, technically, that should be the other way around, since the idea for this chapter came to me first. Fair warning, those of you who are uncomfortable with blood might want to skip certain parts of this chapter. Just saying.**

 **Althea Sirius: Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. The chicken fight was my favorite part to write, so I'm glad you enjoyed it. Also, I was originally going to give you my predictions for the next Smash Direct, but now it seems pointless since the Direct came out before this chapter. So instead, I will leave my personal thoughts on the Direct in my closing author's notes.**

 **Blackhawks8: Thank you. I always do the best I can to keep my characters in character. As I said to Althea Sirius several chapters ago, I take pride in being one of the few who truly knows who Shulk actually is. So I'm glad you like how I've portrayed him and Lucina. Also, don't worry about posting as a guest. I do the same thing all the time. You'd be surprised how many different stories I've reviewed as a guest rather than as Needs a Better Username.**

 **Well, don't let me keep you any longer. Enjoy the chapter, everyone.**

 _ **Super Smash Bros.**_ **© Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai**

* * *

* _Lucina and Rosalina's bedroom_ *

* _2:17 AM_ *

* * *

All the Smashers in the mansion were currently sleeping soundly through the night. All, that is, except for one. A certain blue haired princess was currently tossing and turning in her sleep. She was in the midst of a nightmare.

* * *

 _Lucina was currently in her family's castle fighting off a large army of undead monsters known as Risen with what few castle guards were still alive. She did her best to fight them off, but was quickly being overwhelmed. All of a sudden, an extraordinarily powerful gust of wind shook the whole room. And when the dust settled, Lucina saw that all the Risen and castle guards had been blown away, leaving her alone._

" _ **So ends the human race.**_ _"_

 _Lucina heard a menacing voice come from somewhere near her. She quickly got to her feet and grabbed her sword, ready to fight off whatever was about to attack._

" _ **The future is built upon the past. But your kind shall never see it!**_ _" The evil voice said._

 _Lucina then turned around and her eyes widened with horror. Three burning red eyes, each one about as tall as she was, if not taller, turned to look at her. Lucina started shaking with fright as she realized who this was. It was the destroyer of the world. The ancient evil that had wiped out nearly every living thing on the planet, including those closest to her. It was the Fell Dragon, Grima._

" _ **Your mother and father are dead, tiny one.**_ _" Grima taunted._

 _Lucina then pointed her sword, Falchion, toward the giant demon, though her entire body still shook with fear. Grima then gave off a sinister laugh as he brought his head back, allowing Lucina to see him in his entirety. Behind Grima, Lucina could see that pretty much everything in her field of vision was on fire. Almost nothing was left untouched by flames._

" _ **And now it is your turn to DIE!**_ _" Grima screamed before moving to attack Lucina._

 _Lucina screamed as Grima approached her. He approached Lucina quickly and then he…_

* * *

Lucina awoke with a scream as she sat up on her bed. She was covered in cold sweat and was breathing heavily. She quickly looked around at her surroundings, trying to figure out what happened to Grima. Once she realized she was just in her bedroom at the Smash Mansion, she calmed down and her breathing began to steady. She realized that it was only a nightmare. She looked over at her roommate, Rosalina, who had not been woken up by her screaming, fortunately. Once she had fully calmed down, Lucina lied back down for a restless sleep.

When she woke up the next morning, the images of her nightmare still lingered in the back of her mind. She couldn't get rid of them even when Shulk came and sat by her at breakfast.

"Hello, Shulk." Lucina greeted.

"Hey, Lucy. How are you toda… Are you alright? You don't look so good." Shulk asked in concern.

"I'm fine. I just didn't sleep well." Lucina answered.

"I see. Still, you sure you'll be alright?"

"Yes, I will be fine." Lucina responded, though Shulk was still unsure.

After breakfast, Lucina went about her day as normal. Yet, despite her best efforts, she could not forget what she had seen the night before. It had felt so real to her. That was because it was. What she had seen in her dream had actually happened to her before she traveled back in time. She remembered how terrified she was when she came face to face with the Fell Dragon itself. And to go through that kind of fear again, even if it was only a dream, was not a pleasant experience.

Once night came, she entered her bed somewhat warily. She was afraid that she would again see the same nightmare again tonight, or that another one was waiting for her. Despite this, her rational side told her that sleep was necessary. Lucina ultimately listened to her rational side, and she closed her eyes for the night.

At around the same time as the night before, Lucina's face took on a pained and fearful expression and she began to squirm in her sleep again. Another nightmare was currently going on in her head.

* * *

 _Lucina was fighting for her life to defend a village in Ylisse from an army of Risen. She was joined by several of her friends as they did their best to keep the Risen out. However, the undead forces heavily outnumbered her own, so a great many of them were slipping past her ranks._

" _Keep fighting! We cannot afford to let this village fall!" Lucina shouted to her allies._

 _Lucina again swung her sword at an incoming Risen, but another one quickly took its place and hit her in the side with its sword. Lucina clutched her wound in pain, but continued fighting. She cut down two more Risen as they ran at her. But then another one came at her from the side and struck her in the leg with its axe, forcing her down on one knee. The Risen was just about to bury its axe in her head, but it was quickly killed by her friend, Nah._

" _Lucina, you have to get out of here! You're hurt!" Nah shouted._

" _I cannot retreat! I need to help fend off these Risen!" Lucina yelled as she attempted to get back on her feet._

" _You're no good to us if you get killed! Please, head back! We'll hold them off!" Nah pleaded._

 _Before Lucina had a chance to respond, two of her guards began dragging her backwards toward the village. Struggle as she may, she was unable to get out of their grasp. But just as they made it in the village walls, one of the guards was killed by a Risen by cutting him through with a sword. The other guard quickly killed the Risen before turning to Lucina._

" _Princess! You have to keep going! We'll keep fighting! But you need to keep heading toward the villa…!" The guard shouted before the spear of a Risen emerged from his chest, spouting off a large amount of blood. Lucina looked on in horror before killing the Risen. She then rose to her feet and began limping toward the village, taking out a few stray Risen along the way._

" _I hope we can fend off the Risen before village falls completely!" Lucina said to herself._

 ***BOOM***

 _A large explosion rocked the center of the village, lighting every single building in it on fire. Terrified villagers tried to run out of the village, but most of them got slaughtered by the Risen. Lucina looked around in horror. She had failed to protect yet another village from Grima's wrath._

" _No. Not again. I've failed again." Lucina whispered to herself before falling to her knees._

" _ **You pathetic humans will always fail!**_ _"_

 _Lucina turned around and to her horror, the Fell Dragon Grima stood before her, towering over her like a mountain. She then looked downward, and to her shock, all her friends and allies were dead, their blood soaking the floor. Tears began welling in her eyes at the sight._

 _Grima then let out a mighty roar, and countless Risen began to swarm around Lucina. She did her best to fight them off, but there were too many. The undead monsters landed a number of painful blows on her, eventually forcing her to the ground. One Risen then approached her with a spear. The Risen raised the spear, ready to pierce Lucina's heart. The Risen then brought down the spear._

* * *

Lucina awoke with another yell and immediately put her hand to her chest, checking for the supposed wound the Risen gave her. When she felt no gaping hole in her heart, she realized it was just another nightmare. She sighed sadly, upset over not just how real it had been, but also over how much of what happened in that dream had actually occurred.

"Why was I not strong enough to protect that village?" She whispered to herself with a sob.

To avoid the possibility of another nightmare, Lucina stayed up for the rest of the night. When morning came, she was very tired and exhausted, but determined to get through the day.

By midday, Lucina was sitting on a couch in the living room, watching something on the television with a few other Smashers. Her attention, however, was barely on the TV. They were on the horrible visions she had seen the night before. She still wondered why and how she had allowed that particular village to be destroyed. As much as she tried to push the thought to the back of her mind and focus on whatever was on TV, it still nagged her.

As the day went on, she found her eyelids starting to get heavier and heavier. But she managed to fight them open and avoid sleeping. She felt like she couldn't bear to witness yet another nightmare. When it became too hard to try and stay awake, she left the living room in search of some sort of activity to keep her active. She reasoned that if she was active, she would be less inclined to sleep. When dinner time came around, she ate quickly, hoping to get back to the Training Room as soon as possible. Once she finished, she stood and was about to head out of the Mess Hall, but before she could, Shulk stood in front of her, blocking her path.

"Whoa there! Where's the fire?" Shulk asked.

"Fire?! Where?!" Lucina screamed.

"Calm down, it's just an expression. What I mean to say is: Where're you going in such a hurry?"

"I think I'll get some training in before curfew begins."

"You sure about that? If you ask me, I think you should head to bed early tonight."

"I appreciate the sentiment, Shulk. However, I feel like I need to get stronger rather than sleep."

With that, Lucina walked past Shulk and to the Training Room. She spent the next hour in there before looking at the clock and realizing curfew began in 15 minutes. She left the Training Room and made her way up a floor to her bedroom. After changing into her nightgown and climbing into her bed, she slowly closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. Before long, she again put a fearful expression on her face as another horrible nightmare began forming.

* * *

 _Lucina and her friends were running for their lives from a pack of Risen. They had been ambushed by the undead monsters while on their way to Ylisse's capital. Many of their number had been killed already and those that were left were desperately trying to outrun the Risen._

" _We must keep moving! Ylisstol's walls are not far from here! We'll be safe there!" Lucina shouted to her comrades._

 _Lucina suddenly heard a grunt and a thud come from behind her. She whipped her head around and saw that her friend Brady had tripped and fallen on his face, Risen quickly approaching him. Lucina instantly stopped and turned around to help her friend. But before she could reach him, another wave of Risen blocked her path. She immediately started fighting them off and trying to get past them, but they proved difficult to fight off._

" _Brady, hold on! I'm coming!" Lucina screamed._

" _You might wanna hurry up!" Brady called out as he tried to fight off the Risen surrounding him._

 _Lucina cut down a number of Risen in an attempt to get past them and get to Brady, but each time she got through one, more came to replace it. She was starting to get overwhelmed when she heard Brady scream in pain. When she looked over to him, Lucina saw her friend's weapon get knocked out of his hands. Brady was then knocked to the ground by the swing of a Risen's axe. Another Risen then thrust its sword into Brady's chest as the boy let out a scream._

" _No!" Lucina cried out._

 _Lucina eventually managed to kill all the remaining Risen and make it to Brady, but by then, it was too late. Brady was dead. His body was lying in a puddle of his own blood. Lucina put her fingers on his neck just in case he still had a pulse and could be saved, but there was none, and Lucina only succeeded in getting blood on her hands._

" _Brady, I'm so sorry." Lucina began to sob._

 _Brady's hand then shot up and wrapped around Lucina's neck, choking her. Lucina's eyes widened as she tried to pry Brady's hand off her neck. Brady's eyes then opened, only they were glowing red like a Risen's. His skin started to take on the tone of a Risen as well._

" _You… could have… stopped this. Why… didn't you… try… harder?" The Risen formerly known as Brady said._

 _Lucina managed to free herself from Brady's grip, only to immediately run away in horror at the sight of her friend turned into a Risen. As she ran, she found that Risen versions of all her friends and allies stood in her path. Each of them were shouting at her._

" _Why didn't you help us?"_

" _Why did you let Grima take over?"_

" _Why couldn't you save us?"_

 _Lucina covered her ears trying to block out the awful comments. She ran faster in an attempt to escape them. She ran into a forest clearing only to come to a stop when she saw her parents standing in front of her. Both Chrom and Sumia looked at her with sadness in their eyes._

" _Why couldn't you save us, Lucina?" Chrom asked._

" _Why?" Sumia repeated._

 _Before Lucina had a chance to respond, a hooded figure appeared behind Chrom and cast some sort of spell that hit Chrom, causing a spear of light to emerge from Chrom's chest. The Exalt then fell to the ground, dead. As this was going on, a lone Risen came out of the trees and struck Sumia in the back with its axe. Sumia screamed as she also fell to the ground. The Risen pulled its axe out of Sumia's back, only to strike her again and again and again, the axe getting more and more red with each strike._

" _NO!" Lucina shouted._

 _She tried to approach the Risen, but before she could reach it, the hooded figure that had killed Chrom cast a ball of light toward her, knocking her back. The hooded figure then cast a spell at its feet, enveloping itself in an explosion. And from the explosion rose the thing Lucina feared the most, the Fell Dragon, Grima._

" _ **And now it is your turn to DIE!**_ _" Grima shouted before moving to attack Lucina._

* * *

Lucina woke up with another scream as the nightmare came to an end. Once she gathered her bearings, she began to sob into her pillow. Even after all these years, she still blamed herself for not being strong enough to save her timeline and keep Grima from taking over and killing nearly everyone and everything she held dear. It may have worked out in the end, but that didn't change the fact that she still had to witness and endure so much pain and suffering. She then decided to give up on sleep entirely out of fear of even worse visions haunting her dreams.

The next morning, she traded her usual cup of tea she had with breakfast for a drink several other Smashers called coffee. It was hot and bitter, and Lucina didn't care for the taste, but she had heard that it was a good drink for trying to stay awake. With that in mind, she forced the beverage down her throat. After breakfast, she did everything in her power to stay awake. This included activities like training, challenging others to matches, and even swimming in the pool alone, as she heard that splashing water on yourself could keep you awake.

She continued this pattern for he next few days, never once falling asleep. But with each passing day, her condition only got worse and worse. The inhabitants of the Smash Mansion had taken note of her sudden change in both battle and behavior. Rumors began circulating as to why she was acting the way she was.

Shulk had, of course, noticed that his girlfriend was spiraling down a self-destructive course, but every time he approached her about the issue and offered help, she pushed him away, insisting she could handle herself. Though Shulk never truly believed her when she said such things, as the days passed he became even less convinced of her words. He knew that Lucina needed help, desperately. Whether she wanted it or not. He only needed figure out how to give it to her.

On her second day without sleep, Lucina looked more terrible than the day before. She seemed to be neglecting her personal hygiene in favor of trying to keep herself awake. With breakfast, she forced another cup of coffee down. She gagged at the taste, but managed to keep it down. As she ate, she found herself wallowing in self-pity over the guilt she felt for not saving her future. She thought she was finally over it, but her dreams seemed to want to prove her wrong. Lucina couldn't help but wonder why she was not strong enough to save her home.

Shulk then came and sat across from her at the Mess Hall table. Even looking past her obviously sleep deprived appearance, Shulk could tell something was bothering her.

"Hey, Lucina. What's up?" Shulk said, trying to break the ice.

"Nothing." Lucina replied.

"You sure? You don't look so hot. Maybe you should get some rest."

"I don't need sleep. I'm doing just fine without it. What I need to do is * _yawn_ * train and get stronger. I will not let my performance in yesterday's battle be repeated."

"Personally, I don't think lack of training is the issue. You're plenty strong as a fighter, but not when you're not at your best. And believe me, no one is at their best when they don't get proper rest."

"Are you not listening? I just said I don't need sleep! I can't! I have much more pressing matters!"

"You can't or you won't?"

Without a response, Lucina stood and stormed out of the Mess Hall, away from Shulk. Aside from when he had scheduled matched, the blonde fighter spent the rest of the day trying to find Lucina and talk to her. Yet somehow, she managed to elude him. Still, Shulk kept up his search until just before the mansion's curfew took effect. Lucina might have been avoiding sleep, but he had no such intentions. As he drifted off to sleep, he thought about how he could make Lucina do the same. Eventually, he did come up with a plan.

After storming away from Shulk, Lucina went off to practice her sword skills until her first scheduled match of the day, against the Wii Fit Trainer. When she made her way to the Transporter Room, the yoga instructor stood there, waiting for her.

"Shall we begin?" Lucina asked.

"We shall, but are you sure you are ready? You do not look to be at your healthiest." Wii Fit Trainer said.

"How many times must I tell everyone that I'm fine?! I am perfectly capable of fighting! Let us * _yawn_ * begin." Lucina said before stomping into the Transporter Room.

The match between the two females was to be a timed one, with two minutes on the clock. They both stood on individual transporters and were teleported to a stage called 'Lylat Cruise'. Upon looking around, both combatants noticed that they were on some sort of ship in outer space, flying through an asteroid field. Before they could sightsee any longer, the announcer counted down to the fight.

 _3_

 _2_

 _1_

 _GO!_

The Wii Fit Trainer immediately started charging up her Sun Salutation move. Lucina began the fight by charging toward the Trainer as fast as she could, but given her tired state, it wasn't as fast as it usually was. The Trainer charged her sun move just as Lucina sent a sword swing her way. The Trainer dodged with ease and grabbed Lucina, throwing the blue haired woman to the ground. Lucina stayed on the ground for a few seconds, fighting the urge to stay down and close her eyes.

When Lucina did get back up, the Wii Fit Trainer pulled a soccer ball out of seemingly thin air and launched it at Lucina. It missed, and Lucina took the opportunity to sidestep around the Trainer and land a series of sword strikes on her. The Trainer landed on her feet as Lucina jumped up on one of the higher platforms. The Trainer jumped after her and landed a couple solid hits on Lucina, knocking her into the air. Once her opponent was in the air, the Trainer jumped up after her and landed two more hits on Lucina. The bluenette princess landed on the ground with a hard thud.

"Are you certain you wish to continue? You do not seem to be fighting at full strength. To me, it seems like you haven't been sleeping well recently. Proper rest is essential for a healthy body." The Trainer commented.

"I assure you, I am fine. I wish to continue." Lucina stated.

Lucina rose to her feet and charged at the Trainer, only to be knocked back by one of her opponent's powerful yoga poses. Lucina was knocked to the other side of the stage, and the Trainer quickly followed. Lucina swung her sword at the ground, knocking the Trainer off her feet and almost off the stage, but she recovered and continued fighting. The Trainer struck another yoga pose, this one hitting Lucina in the face and almost throwing her off the stage. Lucina quickly jumped back on, however, and tried landing a few blows on her opponent, but none of them hit. This was due to her coordination being thrown off due to sleep deprivation. However, eventually Lucina did land a good hit, sending the Wii Fit Trainer back a few feet.

As Lucina ran toward her opponent, the Trainer, who was on one of the small platforms on the top of the stage, jumped down and intercepted Lucina with a kick. The yoga instructor then struck 3 quick poses, each one hitting Lucina and knocking her back. The Trainer then tried recharging her Sun Salutation move, but had to cancel it in order to sidestep one of Lucina's attacks. Lucina then tried to land another attack, and this one actually connected, launching the Trainer across the stage. Lucina pursued, but was hit with a powerful attack that almost launched her off the stage. However, she managed to grab hold of the edge of the ship the fight was taking place on. Upon getting back on the ship, however, The Trainer grabbed Lucina, hit her a couple times, then threw her off the ship again. Lucina again managed to get back on, only to be knocked upward by one of the Wii Fit Trainer's attacks. This attack caused Lucina to hit the invisible barrier that surrounded the stage, resulting in a KO.

Lucina was returned to the stage by a floating platform, and she quickly jumped off to continue the fight.

"It's not too late to forfeit. I recommend you do so and get some rest." The Trainer repeated.

"I'm fine! I am perfectly capable of continuing this duel!" Lucina shouted as she ran for the Trainer.

Lucina tried jumping between platforms to get to the Trainer, but was intercepted with an attack. Lucina fell to the ground, and when she got up, the Trainer grabbed her and threw her to the ground. The Trainer then lander a few more hits on Lucina before grabbing her again and throwing her upward. The Trainer then jumped up herself and hit Lucina again. The Trainer then landed on her feet as Lucina landed on her back. Lucina then ran and tried to land another attack, but it missed and the Trainer landed an attack of her own, this one strong enough to KO Lucina once again.

Lucina, who was extremely weakened at this point, got back on the stage and tired attacking the Trainer, only to be grabbed and slammed to the floor again. She tried landing a few weak attacks, but they all missed and the Trainer retaliated with a few powerful attacks of her own. After another airborne attack caused Lucina to fall to the ground, groaning from pain and exhaustion. At this point, the announcer began counting down the remaining time in the fight.

 _5_

 _4_

 _3_

 _2_

 _1_

 _TIME!_

" _The winner is: Wii Fit Trainer!_ " Cried the announcer.

The match was over. The Wii Fit Trainer had won with a score of 2 to -2.

Lucina, despondent that she had lost, walked out of the Transporter Room and made her way to the Training Room and stayed there for the rest of the day. Despite the comments made by the Wii Fit Trainer during their match, she did not blame her sleep deprivation for her performance. She blamed her own weakness in fighting, just as she had when she was younger, and just as she had in her nightmares. Once curfew came around, she did return to her room, but never once got into her bed. She spent the rest of the night reading books that she had taken from the Smash Mansion's library. While she did feel herself dozing off a few times, she did manage to keep herself up through the night.

* * *

On the third day without sleep, Lucina looked even worse. She had bags under her eyes, her eyes were bloodshot, her hair was a mess, and she could barely walk straight. When she entered the Mess Hall for breakfast, several of the Smashers began to whisper about her disheveled appearance. She got another cup of coffee with breakfast and quickly began gulping it down. Soon afterwards, Shulk came by and sat across from her. Lucina noticed that like herself, Shulk had also gotten a cup of coffee with his breakfast.

"'ello, Lucina. How are you today?" Shulk asked.

"…Fine." She muttered after a yawn.

"Alright then."

"If I may ask, why is it you decided to get a cup of coffee today? It doesn't seem like something you would enjoy."

"Well, since you've been drinking it these past few days with seemingly no problem, I thought I'd give it a go."

Shulk was lying through his teeth. He had clearly seen Lucina's distaste for the drink every time she put some in her mouth, but he had a plan. The Monado wielder then pulled a small capsule out of his vest pocket and put it in the drink. It immediately started to dissolve as Shulk started stirring it.

"What is that you just put in your drink?" Lucina asked.

"Tonic for the nerves. I got it from Dr. Mario. Sometimes fighting in a tournament like this can get a little stressful, y'know?" Shulk answered.

"Yes, I suppose you're right."

"Normally, I feel like I could handle it, but lately I've been feeling… Hang on, since when did Samus change the colour of her armour?" Shulk stated.

"Pardon?"

"Look. Samus seems to have given her armour a new paint job."

Lucina turned around and started looking around for Samus. Once her back was turned, Shulk quickly switched the placement of his coffee cup and Lucina's. The coffee cup that now sat next to Lucina's plate was not only decaffeinated, but also filled with the substance Shulk had mixed in. While he had indeed gotten it from Dr. Mario, it was not a nerve calmer as he had claimed. It was, in fact, a sleep inducer. Shulk had hoped that when his girlfriend drank it, she would finally get the sleep she had been avoiding for the past few days. He could no longer bear to see Lucina destroy herself like this. He didn't know why she was avoiding going to sleep, but he knew no good would ever come from it. He hoped that when she was finally fully rested, she might tell him what this was all about.

"I do not see Samus anywhere." Lucina stated as she turned around.

"Really? Must've been my imagination." Shulk said.

Lucina then took a sip of the coffee that had, unbeknownst to her, been laced with sleep medicine. Once she finished it off, she stood and walked out of the Mess Hall. Shulk quickly got up and followed. According to Dr. Mario, it would take about an hour for the sleep medicine to take effect. The future seer knew he had to stay close to his girlfriend so that when it did take effect, he was there to keep an eye on her. It was time he found out why she was acting the way she had.

"So what are your plans for the rest of the day, eh?" Shulk asked.

"Well, I have a fight at 1:00. But until then, * _yawn_ * I'm not certain what I should do." Lucina replied.

"Well, how 'bout you and me relax in the living room for a bit? Maybe we can find something good on the tele." Shulk suggested.

"I suppose I have no better plan." Lucina said.

With that, the couple made their way to the mansion's living room and turned on the television. They sat there and watched it for some time until suddenly, Lucina felt a strange feeling taking over her. Her eyelids started to get heavy and she found herself struggling to stay awake, more so than usual. Shulk took notice of her behavior and assumed it was the medicine taking effect.

"Lucina, are you alright?" Shulk asked, although he already knew the answer.

"I'm fine." Lucina answered, although both she and Shulk knew otherwise.

"Really? You look like you could use some rest."

"I told you, I do not need sleep! I cannot afford to waste time on something like that!"

"Lucina, everyone needs sleep. Avoiding it will only hurt you more in the long run. Besides, at this point, I don't think you have a choice."

"What do you… mean?" Lucina asked as her eyelids got heavier and her body started to weaken.

"I didn't want to have to do this to you, but you left me no choice. I slipped you some medicine meant to help you fall asleep. In a few moments, you will be sleeping, whether you want to or not. I'm sorry." Shulk admitted.

"Shulk… What… have… you done?" Lucina stammered.

With that, her eyes finally closed and she drifted off to sleep. Shulk gently put a pillow under her head, then sit down to watch her and see if her could figure out what was wrong with her. Before long, Lucina began to moan uncomfortably in her sleep. She then began to toss and turn as another nightmare overtook her mind.

* * *

 _Lucina was out in an open field fighting for her life against the Risen. She was surrounded by her closest family and friends as they struggled against wave after wave of incoming Risen. They were losing, badly, but were determined to fight to the last man standing. Lucina swiped another Risen across the back before impaling another one in the chest. However, right as she pulled her sword out of the dead Risen, another one came up and hit her in the ribs with its axe, leaving a sizeable gash. Lucina cried out in pain, but managed to keep on her feet and kill the Risen that injured her._

" _We cannot afford to let these Risen win! We have to keep fighting!" Lucina shouted._

 _Just as she was about to cut down another Risen, however, she heard a massive thud come form next to her, followed by a massive cloud of dust. When it settled, she noticed that all the Risen were gone, but in their place was her worst nightmare, Grima. The beast let out a roar that send pure, unadulterated fear coursing through Lucina._

" _ **So ends the human race.**_ _" The beast roared._

 _Lucina then noticed that all her friends and family were on the ground, dead. Their bodies were mangled and covered in blood. She alone was still standing, and that terrified her._

 _There were three bodies immediately surrounding her. She recognized them as those of her father, mother, and sister. Their bodies were twisted and bloodied. Lucina could only look on in horror as blood spilled from all three of their bodies and pooled around her, ultimately washing over her feet. She tried to run out of the pool of blood she was standing in, but found herself unable to. In fact, she actually found herself sinking in it as if it were quicksand._

" _Oh, Gods! Someone, HELP!" Lucina cried as she continued sinking in the blood._

 _Now in up to her waist, Lucina put her hands in the blood, trying to push herself out. However, she only succeeded in getting her arms stuck. She continued to struggle, though she was now nothing more than a head sticking out of a pool of blood._

" _No! NO! Please, someone, help me! ANYONE!" Lucina screamed as tears began streaming down her face._

 _Now, only her face was sticking out of the blood. She made one last cry for help before closing her mouth to keep blood from getting in it. Her eyes were the last thing to pass through the blood she was sinking in. Her vision began to become nothing but red as blood washed over her eyes. With one last muffled cry, she finally sank fully in the blood puddle._

 _Lucina now found herself falling in an endless abyss. All she could see around her was darkness as she continued to fall. She cried out in the darkness as she continued free falling with no end in sight. After about 30 seconds of nothing but falling in darkness, she hit a hard surface. When Lucina opened her eyes, she found herself in front of a burning village. Risen were running amuck in the village, killing anyone who attempted to run away. Lucina instantly got up, grabbed her sword, and ran to the village in an attempt to defend those who were left._

 _She ran toward a Risen that was about to kill a villager who had tripped and fallen on the floor. Unfortunately, she didn't make it in time. The villager was struck in the back by the Risen's weapon. Lucina looked on, horrified, but regained her bearing. She killed the Risen, then looked around for any more to kill. She then heard a scream from near her. Lucina turned her head and saw an injured woman trying to escape some Risen quickly approaching her. Lucina ran as fast as she could to kill the Risen and defend the woman. She managed to defeat the Risen and then turned to the woman._

" _Are you alright?" Lucina asked._

" _Yes, I'm alright. But you won't be." The woman replied._

 _The woman then morphed into a Risen and tried to attack Lucina. The blue haired warrior was stuck in the shoulder by the attack, but managed to defeat the Risen. Once the Risen was gone, Lucina clutched her injured shoulder in pain._

" _Have to keep fighting. Have to stay strong. Have to…" Lucina started._

 _Before she could finish her sentence, the ground seemed to erupt from beneath her. And out of the ground rose Grima, haunting her for the second time in a row. She backed away from the Fell Dragon in horror as he turned his head to look at the bluenette princess._

" _ **The future is built upon the past. But your kind shall never see it!**_ _" Grima screeched at her._

 _When Grima burst out of the earth, he had sent several pieces of flaming debris flying in every direction. One of these pieces landed right next to Lucina and caused her cape to catch fire. The fire quickly spread over her whole body. Lucina ran in a panic as she tried to find something to put out the fire with before she burned to death. Over the flames burning right in front of her face, she managed to make out a fountain. She ran toward the fountain, hoping there was still water in it. But when she got close to it, it too exploded right in front of her. The explosion knocked Lucina into the air._

 _When she landed, Lucina no longer felt flames engulfing her entire body, but she could feel hard stone beneath her. When she got up, she saw that she was in the castle that stood at the capital of Ylisse. Just like before, Risen were all over the place, killing off what few allies Lucina had left, and it seemed like it was hopeless to try and stop them, but Lucina was determined to fight them off for as long as she possibly could._

 _She grabbed her sword and ran toward the crowd of Risen. While she managed to cut down a few of them, it wasn't long before they began to surround her and overwhelm her. One of them struck her in the leg, forcing her down on one knee. Another one managed to knock Falchion from her hands, while yet another one hit her in the shoulder. This blow knocked her onto her back. Another Risen then raised its weapon and prepared to bring it down on Lucina._

 _But before the blow could be landed, an extraordinarily powerful gust of wind shook the whole room. And when the dust settled, Lucina saw that all the Risen had been blown away, leaving her alone. She got back on her feet, only now noticing that the ceiling had been blown away as well, leaving her with a view of the outside world. And the first thing she saw was, for the third time total, the Fell Dragon Grima, laying waste to everything around him. Lucina had still been just as terrified as the first two times she had seen this monster._

" _ **Your mother and father are dead, tiny one.**_ _" Grima taunted._

 _Lucina looked around at all the dead bodies, and found that each and every one of them resembled either Chrom or Sumia. No matter where she looked, all she could see were her parents blood-soaked bodies lying all over the place._

" _Oh gods. Oh gods, no." She muttered in shock._

 _She turned her attention back to Grima, who looked just about ready to attack the young princess. The massive dragon reared its head back to look at Lucina head on._

" _ **And now it is your turn to DIE!**_ _" Grima shouted._

 _Grima moved to attack Lucina. Since she had dropped her sword and was practically numbed by everything that had happened so far, she had all but given up on facing Grima head on._

" _No. No!" She shouted._

* * *

"NO! _"_ Lucina screamed as she awoke and sat up.

Lucina quickly opened her eyes and realized she was just in the living room of the Smash Mansion. Shulk was looking over at her with a concerned expression on his face.

"Let me guess, nightmares?" Shulk asked.

"Yes. After Grima was defeated, I thought they had finally disappeared, but over the last week, they have been haunting me." Lucina conceded.

"That's why you've been avoiding sleep this whole time? Because of a few nightmares?" Shulk asked.

"I told you, I do not need sleep. I can deal with any sort of sleep related problems more than I can the horrible visions that show up in my dreams."

"So you say, but your behaviour and battle performance over the past few days says otherwise."

"I assure you, I'm fine! I'm perfectly capable of fighting! Let's practice right now. I'll show you." Lucina said as she drew Falchion and pointed it at Shulk.

Shulk rolled his eyes but got up and pulled the Monado off his back and pointed it at his girlfriend. Lucina swung her sword at Shulk, but didn't hit him. Shulk didn't even move at her attack. Shulk then swung his massive sword, knocking Lucina's sword out of her hands and causing it to slide several feet away from her. Another swing of the Monado sent Lucina falling to the ground before Shulk pointed his sword at her. All the while, Shulk had not even activated the Monado's energy blade. It had stayed in its deactivated form the entire time.

"'Perfectly capable of fighting' eh?" Shulk said.

Shulk then strapped the Monado to his back again and stretched his hand toward Lucina. She took it and Shulk helped her get to her feet.

"Be that as it may, it will not change my mind." Lucina said.

"Why not? How bad could these nightmares of yours been that they made you decide avoiding sleep was better?"

"How bad? How bad?! Do you know how awful my past was? Can you imagine having to relive it every night? Each night the images worse than the night before? Can you imagine having to see innocents die before you? Friends and family? Do you know what it's like to have to see that which you fear most every night, tormenting you? Do you?!" Lucina snapped.

"Yes." Shulk said with a sad expression.

Lucina wasn't expecting this response. She turned to Shulk as her expression softened.

"I hope you haven't forgotten about what I told you not long after we met. I've seen everything you have, and more. I've seen friends die. Brutally murdered. I've seen people I could have saved, people I wanted to save, but didn't, or couldn't. I've seen world ending threats, and I've fought them." Shulk answered.

Lucina now felt guilt over how she yelled at Shulk. She realized he was right. He had seen everything she had seen before.

"And I've seen it all in my dreams too." Shulk admitted.

"You have?" Lucina asked.

"Yes. Every horrible monster I faced, I've seen it in my dreams. Zanza, Mumkhar, the Mechon, the Telethia. I've seen 'em all, and more. And, like you, it often turned out a lot worse in my dreams than it did in real life. Sometimes, I saw all my friends die. Sometimes, I failed to stop my enemies from winning. And sometimes, I found myself waking up just before I could be killed too."

"Shulk, I'm… I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, because eventually, I managed to beat them."

"How?"

"With help. Closing yourself off and trying to solve all your problems yourself won't do anyone any good. When my bad dreams started acting up, I tried every trick in the book to make them go away. Nothing worked. It was only when my friends noticed something was up with me that I finally talked about it. That's how I knew you were having nightmares. The way you acted while you were sleeping was pretty much the same as how my friends described me when I was having them. Anyway, once the secret was out, they each took turns consoling me and putting all my fears to rest. And I'm going to do the same for you. So please, tell me what's you've been seeing."

Lucina finally divulged all that she had seen in her dreams over the last week. Every appearance of Grima, every death of a loved one, every action she still blamed herself for, and how insecure she felt about herself over it. Once she finished, Shulk held her close.

"I'm sorry that you've seen such awful things, Lucina. But trust me when I say you shouldn't let it get to you. You claim there were so many people you couldn't save, perhaps you didn't at first, but didn't you save them when you went back in time, stopping anything bad from happening to them at all?"

"Well…yes, I suppose that's true."

"The same goes for your parents and loved ones. You might not have saved them the first time, but you still did. You changed the future and brought peace, and I know you could do it again if you had to."

"Do you really think so? Even though there were so many times I almost failed? Let my loved ones down?"

"Yes, I do. But not alone. Just as you helped your friends family survive, they helped you. I know I wouldn't have defeated Zanza without all my friends helping me. Know that your loved ones helped you along your journey and they always will. And, if it means anything, so will I." Shulk reassured.

"Really?" Lucina asked.

"Yes. I'll always be there for you. So please, don't be so hard on yourself. You're alright just as you are."

"Thank you for your comfort, Shulk."

"Not at all. Now, when night comes, I want you to sleep. Don't avoid it anymore. If you do continue to have nightmares, we'll work through them, I promise."

"Very well. I shall try."

With that, Shulk put a gentle kiss on Lucina's forehead before the couple went about their business for the rest of the day. When night came, Lucina climbed into her bed, and though she was still scared, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

 _Lucina was currently in her family's castle fighting off a large army of undead monsters known as Risen with what few castle guards were still alive. She did her best to fight them off, but was quickly being overwhelmed. All of a sudden, an extraordinarily powerful gust of wind shook the whole room. And when the dust settled, Lucina saw that all the Risen and castle guards had been blown away, leaving her alone._

" _ **So ends the human race.**_ _"_

 _Lucina heard a menacing voice come from somewhere near her. She quickly got to her feet and grabbed her sword, ready to fight off whatever was about to attack._

" _ **The future is built upon the past. But your kind shall never see it!**_ _" The evil voice said._

 _Lucina then turned around and her eyes widened with horror. Three burning red eyes, each one about as tall as she was, if not taller, turned to look at her. Lucina started shaking with fright as she realized who this was. It was the destroyer of the world. The ancient evil that had wiped out nearly every living thing on the planet, including those closest to her. It was the Fell Dragon, Grima._

" _ **Your mother and father are dead, tiny one.**_ _" Grima taunted._

 _Lucina then pointed her sword, Falchion, toward the giant demon, though her entire body still shook with fear. Grima then gave off a sinister laugh as he brought his head back, allowing Lucina to see him in his entirety. Behind Grima, Lucina could see that pretty much everything in her field of vision was on fire. Almost nothing was left untouched by flames._

" _ **And now it is your turn to DIE!**_ _" Grima screamed before moving to attack Lucina._

 _Lucina screamed as Grima approached her. But before he could land the killing blow, Lucina was pulled out of the dragon's way. When she looked at what it was that pulled her to safety, she saw her friend, Gerome, riding on top of his pet wyvern, Minerva. He had been the one to save her by pulling her onto the back of his mount._

" _Worry not, Lucina. I have you now." Gerome said as he flew away from Grima as fast as he could._

 _After escaping from Grima, Gerome landed and got off his mount, as did Lucina._

" _How did you find me, Gerome?" Lucina asked._

" _We never lost you. We all agreed to see this through to the end." Gerome answered._

"' _We'?" Lucina asked._

" _Yes, 'we'. All of us."_

 _Lucina turned to see who was talking. Standing there were all of her friends. The ones who vowed to avenge their parents by defeating Grima and making a hopeful future._

" _You guys, while I greatly appreciate your willingness to fight alongside me, I cannot allow you to do that. I cannot allow anyone else to die for me. This is a burden I must bear alone." Lucina said to her friends._

" _Lucina, when will you realize that you don't have to do everything yourself? We're all here because we_ want _to help. We will never leave you no matter what." Gerome replied._

" _Y-yeah, we promised to see this through to the end. You h-have us to help you. You also have everyone else that's still alive out there. A-and you have the love and support of our parents and…" Lucina's friend Noire stammered before being interrupted._

" _And you also have me."_

 _Lucina turned around to face whoever had just spoken. When she saw who it was, her eyes widened in shock. Standing before her was none other than her boyfriend, Shulk._

" _S-Shulk? How did you get here?" Asked Lucina._

" _Don't worry about it. Point is, I'm here, and I'm gonna help you get through this." Shulk answered._

 _Lucina ran to embrace Shulk in a tight hug. They stayed in their embrace for several seconds. Once they separated, Lucina opened her mouth to say something. But before a single word could get past her lips, the ground shook beneath them. Everyone present looked up and saw Grima approaching them. The monster let out a mighty roar before facing them._

" _ **You cannot stop me. You cannot stop a god!**_ _" Grima screamed._

" _Come on then! Come at us! You're not the first god I've killed with this sword!" Shulk yelled as he pulled the Monado off his back and activated it._

 _Grima brought its massive head toward the small band of heroes, intent on crushing them all. But right as it got close, Shulk swung the Monado as hard as he could at the dragon's head. Grima reared its head back and screeched in pain._

" _ **How dare you! You cannot change that which is written in stone! You cannot change the future!**_ _" Grima shouted._

" _The future is ours to decide!" Shulk countered._

 _Shulk then landed another attack on Grima, causing the Fell Dragon to cry out in pain again._

" _Everyone, begin fighting! You must distract Grima! Allow me and Shulk time to defeat him once and for all!" Lucina commanded._

" _You can count on us!" Shouted her friend, Yarne._

" _If you're going to stop Grima, you might need this!" Cynthia shouted before tossing something at Lucina._

 _Lucina caught what her sister had thrown at her and looked at it. It was a small, shield like object with 5 glowing gemstones placed in it. It was the Fire Emblem. A sacred object of incredible power that had the ability to grant anyone of royal blood, such as Lucina, to defeat Grima once and for all. The blue haired princess stared at it in shock before strapping it on her arm._

" _Use it to bring down Grima once and for all!" Cynthia cried before going into battle._

" _Are you ready, Lucina?" Shulk asked._

" _Do you really think we can do this? Do you really think we can change fate?" Lucina asked._

" _I do. Our destiny is our own, and we must take it!"_

" _Then, I am ready. Let us finish this."_

 _Shulk then went through his Monado Arts until a green symbol appeared in the center of the sword._

" _Jump!" Shulk yelled._

 _The Monado wielder then grabbed Lucina's hand and jumped up, taking her with him. They landed on Grima's back, where all her friends had also somehow made it up there and were fighting off a horde of Risen that Grima had summoned. Lucina and Shulk ran up Grima's back toward his head. Along the way, a few stray Risen blocked their path, but the two cut them down with ease. By now, they had made it to Grima's extremely long neck. They continued running closer and closer to the Fell Dragon's head, ready to end this. Grima tried to shake them off, but they kept on getting closer and closer to his head._

" _Today, we use our power to fell a god, and then seize our destiny!" Shulk yelled._

 _As he spoke, a symbol appeared in the center of the Monado, one that Lucina had never seen before. Whatever it was, it caused the Monado's energy blade to turn from blue to gold, as well as double in length. As this was happening, Lucina drew power from the Fire Emblem, having it course through her. Her sword, Falchion, which was also a sacred object, began reacting to the Fire Emblem as well, and it too started glowing. The two destiny changers then jumped up. When they came back down, they both plunged their swords deep into Grima's head. Grima let out a mighty roar of pain. Both Shulk and Lucina pushed their swords even deeper into Grima's head. This caused Grima to start falling from the sky, as well as start fading away._

" _ **All that I am is fading. The memory of a god's existence, born from the chaos of creation. It is vanishing.**_ _" Grima said before disappearing completely._

 _Once Grima had vanished entirely, Shulk, Lucina, and all her friends found themselves at Ylisse's royal caste. The fires that had been burning in the town had all gone out, and the dark clouds that had seemed to be in the sky for an eternity began to break up, allowing sunlight to shine on the ground for the first time in what felt like forever._

" _I…I cannot believe it. We did it. It's over. We won. We did it!" Lucina said, almost in disbelief._

" _No, you did it, Lucina. You landed the killing blow on Grima." Gerome pointed out._

" _Still, I could not have accomplished this without all of you to help me. Without you, I would not have beaten Grima. So thank you, all of you!" Lucina said._

 _As she talked, she went to hug all her friends. They were all so relieved that their suffering had come to an end. Lucina then turned to Shulk, and gave him a long hug as well._

" _Thank you, Shulk. For everything." She said._

" _Of course. It's like I told you, I'll always be there for you." Shulk replied as he returned her hug._

 _Once the hug fest ended, everyone looked out over what was left of Ylisse. It had been devastated by Grima, but not completely destroyed._

" _So what do we do now?" Inquired Cynthia._

" _Now, we rebuild our home from the ground up. It will not be easy, but we can and will do it. We will make a better home for future generations. And we will do it together." Lucina answered as she looked at Shulk._

 _Shulk and Lucina embraced again as the sun rose over a new Ylisse._

* * *

Lucina smiled in her sleep as for the first time in a while, she was having a good dream.

* * *

 **You know, I think this might just be my longest chapter to date. Will there be longer ones in the future? Stay tuned to find out.**

 **This idea came to me because, again, I wanted to try something a bit more on the darker side. Knowing Lucina, she does kind of come of across as someone who might have a few PTSD issues. That alone could fill an entire story, but I settled for keeping it in just this chapter. And at least it all worked out in the end, right?**

 **For those that might be curious (or just want some useless trivia) the Monado Art that Shulk uses in the final dream sequence is supposed to be** **神** **, which translates out to 'god'. It doesn't show up in Smash, but it does show up in** _ **Xenoblade Chronicles.**_ **It appears during the final boss fight, and it's what Shulk uses to finish off said boss, who happens to be a god. While it's debatable as to whether or not Grima could be considered a god, I just felt like having Shulk land the final blow alongside Lucina, and having him use his god killing Art seemed like the best move to me.**

 **All in all, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you considered it too dark, well take comfort in the fact that this is likely that darkest it will get in this story. Either way, please don't leave unnecessary hate on this story. I can't stand it when people do that.**

 **Before I go, here are my thoughts on the final Smash Direct:**

 **First off, characters. I must say I'm not overly surprised that Ken got in as an Echo Fighter. He seems like a decent enough character and even stronger than Ryu in some respects. Concerning Incineroar, I know very little about Pokémon, so this was the first time I had ever even heard of him. Still, his play style looks pretty interesting, I'll admit. Not sure how much I'll use him, but I might check him out. As for the Piranha Plant, well that certainly was…interesting. I never thought they'd make a playable character out of a generic Mario enemy, but they did. Still, leave it to Sakurai to give us a character reveal completely out of left field that no one could have ever seen coming. I'm pretty sure people had similar reactions when the Wii Fit Trainer was announced in Smash 4. Nonetheless, I do intend to get the Piranha Plant and the DLC characters when they come out. Though, I have heard a few people claim that this might have been Sakurai's way of giving the middle finger to both those who whined like babies when Waluigi and Geno were deconfirmed, and those who requested joke characters like Goku and SpongeBob. I'm not sure if it's true, but if it is, I wouldn't be surprised.** **He is quite the troll, after all. Nor do I blame Sakurai for doing such a thing. You guys need to grow up and either accept the fact that your desired character didn't get in the game, or not be crazy enough to think non-video game characters could get in this game. Either way, leave Sakurai alone. He doesn't deserve to be spammed with 20 million messages asking for characters that will never get in the game or hate comments over the fact that said characters aren't in the game. It's OK to be upset that the character you wanted didn't get in the game, but it's not OK to hate on Sakurai, or anyone else for that matter, since your desired character didn't get in the game.**

 **Next, Spirits. Quite an intriguing concept, I'll admit. I do like that they not only serve as a replacement for trophies, but also can help out in battle. Though, I was rather shocked when Sakurai said they had lost their bodies and wanted to get them back. As for what this ultimately led to, well, we'll get there in a second.**

 **I'm also liking the new online functions. It's nice how we can now set the rules ourselves so we can get matches with people similar to ourselves. I hope I can set myself a decent GSP, too. We'll just have to see.**

 **The new assist trophies all look pretty cool. I look forward to trying them all out.**

 **I also love all the new and returning play modes that were announced during the direct. They all look like tons of fun and I look forward to trying them all out.**

 **I must admit, I am disappointed that Sakurai openly deconfirmed Rex as a playable character. He was the one I wanted in Smash the most. No one else was openly deconfirmed like that. Those of you who didn't get the character you wanted still have a shot with the DLC. But my character was openly shot down. While I do understand Sakurai's reasoning, and accept the fact that Rex won't be playable, it doesn't make me any less unhappy. But, my spirits were raised again with what was announced next.**

 _ **World of Light.**_ **Hallelujah, we got an adventure mode! And it looks absolutely beautiful! I plan on making this the first thing I check out once I buy the game. I hope that, like** _ **Subspace Emissary,**_ **this proves to be the fastest way of unlocking all the characters. While Sakurai did say it's more about fun than story, I do sort of hope there will be a basic story to it. Even if not, Sakurai said we should leave it up to our imagination, and I intend to do just that. I need only play the mode to make myself a story out of it, though that one cutscene did provide a great start. Speaking of that cutscene, I was beyond shocked that Sakurai pulled a Thanos on us by turning all our beloved characters to ash (not to mention doing everything in his power to make the gameplay perfectly balanced, as all things should be). Also, I've heard that the colorful ball of light that Thanos'd everyone is officially named Galeem, for those that were wondering. It's not Tabuu or the Subspace Army. Lastly, that song that plays at the end of the video was gorgeous! And here I thought that** _ **Brawl's**_ **theme song would never be topped. Boy, was I wrong! For those who are curious, the song is called 'Lifelight', and I encourage you to check it out.**

 **Finally, PLEASE, get some rest Sakurai! You more than need a break after working so hard on this game. You deserve to take a nap after this. No, better yet, you deserve Rip Van Winkle levels of sleep after blessing us with this extraordinary game. So please, take it.**

 **Well that's about it for now. Coming up next, I'm starting a 3-part arc in this story revolving around one of Smash Bros. most well-known single player modes. Get ready for fighting, fighting, and more fighting.**

 **I'll have that out as soon as I can. Assuming you all know how I typically do my fight scenes, know that I should have it out sooner rather than later. Until then, adieu, everyone.**


	15. Classic Mode: Part 1

**Hello, hello, everyone! How's it hanging? Ready for me to continue this story? Well, let us begin.**

 **As you've likely guessed from the title of this chapter, this will be dealing with Classic Mode, specifically, the Wii U version of it. Or at least, me attempting to recreate the Wii U version of it. As I stated in the last chapter, this will be a 3-parter. I really didn't feel like squeezing all 7 battles into one chapter.**

 **The way I prepared for this chapter was by going through Classic Mode, writing down who I fought and where, then doing the fights again as a regular Smash and recording those, since you can't save replays of Classic Mode run-throughs. In other words, it took some time. Also, I recorded the battles with me actually playing against level 9 CPUs, not all CPUs playing like I normally do with my battles in this story. I hope you enjoy.**

 **Althea Sirius: It's possible some Spirits might make it as the DLC characters. I know you're rooting for Shantae. Me personally, assuming Rex is out of the picture, I would like to see either one of the Champions from** _ **Breath of the Wild,**_ **or a character from the upcoming** _ **Fire Emblem: Three Houses.**_ **And before anyone says 'The game's not even out yet, it's not going to happen', tell that to both Roy and Corrin. They both got into Smash before their respective games were released. They were both put into Smash as a means to promote their then upcoming games.**

 **And yes, I did hear about Stan Lee. I was devastated when I heard the news. He did so much for the entertainment industry with his creations. His greatest creation, Spider-Man, was one of the first superheroes I was introduced to, and I loved him so much I went as him for Halloween when I was 6. I also went as Captain America when I was 16, and as Dr. Strange last Halloween. Stan's cameos in the Marvel movies always brought a smile to my face. I know he managed to film them for** _ **Captain Marvel, Avengers 4,**_ **and possibly** _ **Spider-Man: Far From Home,**_ **before his passing, but after that, the Marvel movies will feel like they're missing something without Stan's humorous appearances. I think my favorite cameo was the 'Tony Stank' bit from** _ **Captain America: Civil War.**_ **It's going to be painful for me to see the words 'In loving memory of Stan Lee' at the end of the next few movies. He did so much work with his near 100 years of life, and he really put the 'excel' in 'excelsior'. I thank him for creating so many timeless characters, and I will dearly miss him.**

 **Rest in peace, Stan Lee. December 22, 1922- November 12, 2018.**

 **Blackhawks8: I'm very glad you liked the chapter. It's true you can't escape the past, all you can do is not let it get to you. Good job on spotting the quotes from** _ **Xenoblade Chronicles**_ **I put in, by the way. Also, I'm glad I'm not the only one who was upset that Rex didn't make the cut. Still, at least we have the story mode to raise our spirits.**

 **3 Question Marks: As for how or even if** _ **World of Light**_ **will feature in this story, cutscene included, you'll just have to wait and see. I enjoy my surprises. But I will say that despite the whole Final Smash meter thing, I still do not intend to include Final Smashes in this story. If that disappoints anyone, I'm sorry.**

 **Now that I've gotten all that out of my system, let's get this party started!**

 _ **Super Smash Bros.**_ **© Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai.**

* * *

* _Smash Mansion auditorium_ *

* _11:00 AM_ *

* * *

All of the Smashers in the mansion were gathered in the small auditorium that sat on the ground floor of the mansion. Master Hand had called them there for an announcement. Shulk and Lucina sat next to each other as they waited for Master Hand to begin speaking. They were both certain what Master Hand was going to say. Though, there had been rumors floating around that Master Hand was going to end the 4th Smash Bros. Tournament soon and start a 5th one right after. It had been nearly 4 years since this Tournament started, after all, so perhaps it was time for a new one. Still, the two destiny changers didn't think that's what this meeting was about. Once all the Smashers had made it to the auditorium, Master Hand began speaking.

"May I have your attention, please? I'm sure some of you are wondering why I have called you all here. Well, it is because it is once again time for our monthly Classic Mode run." Master Hand explained.

Both Shulk and Lucina looked at each other as they both knew they were right about why Master Hand called everyone together.

"As you all know, Classic Mode is when one of you will face a series of battles against your fellow Smashers before going up against a squad off Miis then facing me in battle personally. I will now open up the floor to anyone who wishes to participate in this month's Classic Mode. Any volunteers?" Master Hand asked.

"I'll do it." Shulk said as he stood up.

A small gasp arose from within the crowd of Smashers. Hardly anyone ever willingly volunteered to go through Classic Mode. None of the Smashers really felt like going through so many battles in a row without a break. Since no one ever really volunteered, it often fell to Master Hand to choose a victim from the crowd of Smashers to go through Classic Mode.

Shulk was about to head down to where Master Hand was when Lucina stopped him by grabbing his wrist.

"Shulk, why are you doing this?" She asked.

"No reason. Just thought it'd be fun." Shulk said as fiddled with something in his pocket.

Shulk then walked down to the front of the auditorium and stood in front of Master Hand.

"Very well, then. As you're probably aware, this event is pay to play. You can wager up to 2200 Smash Coins. The more you wager, the more difficult the battles, and the harder your fight against me will be. Should you wager enough, I might summon my brother to fight with me, or even something else. But, you will also get greater prizes should you succeed. You will also be assigned a rival to fight at the halfway mark. Defeating this rival personally will also entail you to additional prizes. With all this in mind, how much would you like to wager, Shulk?" Master Hand asked the boy.

"I'm going all the way." Shulk stated.

This caused an even louder gasp to come from the Smashers. Only twice before in this Tournament had a Smasher wagered the maximum 2200 Smash Coins for Classic Mode. Not only had both of them failed, but everyone had seen what awaited them in the final battle should they wager that much and get that far. No one really wanted to go up against _that,_ but Shulk seemed determined. Still, many of the Smashers, particularly Lucina, couldn't help but look at Shulk with concern. None of them wanted to see him try to fight what would be waiting for him at the end of this.

"Very well. Do you have the required Smash Coins on you?" Master Hand asked.

In response, Shulk pulled a sack full of Smash Coins out and handed it to Master Hand. The giant floating hand quickly counted it before turning back to Shulk.

"Alright, everything seems to be in order. Let us begin. The rest of you can stay here. Those of you who are not participating in a battle can stay and watch the battles play out. Remember, should you go into battle, your primary goal should be to knock Shulk out of battle, though you are allowed to fight any others who are present." Master Hand stated.

With that, a teleporter, not unlike the ones inside the Transporter Room, rose from the ground. Master Hand only used the teleporters inside the auditorium during Classic Mode or during the occasional All-Star Mode, where fighters had to fight everyone in the mansion. Shulk stood on the teleporter and was instantly zapped away.

"Good luck, Shulk." Lucina whispered to herself as her boyfriend was teleported away.

* * *

Shulk now found himself at the center of a large stadium that appeared to be in midair. All of a sudden, life sized statues of many of the other Smashers fell from the sky and landed on different parts of the stadium, many of them clustered together in groups. Below each grouping of Smashers, Shulk could make out the image of one of the many stages, indicating this is where the fight would take place.

Shulk knew what he was supposed to do. He was supposed to go up to one of the groupings and touch one of the statues in said grouping. Upon doing so, he would fight every Smasher in that group. He saw a group in the corner consisting of King Dedede, Sheik, Lucina, Captain Falcon, Palutena, and Kirby. They appeared to be standing on an image of the Windy Hill Zone, an area from Sonic's home. Shulk decided to make this his first battle. He went up and touched the statue of Lucina, and suddenly, he was teleported to the stage.

* * *

" _Shulk vs.: King Dedede, Sheik, Lucina, Captain Falcon, Palutena, and Kirby._ " Cried the battle announcer.

Shulk geared up for the first fight as his opponents did the same.

" _Ready? GO!_ " The announcer yelled.

Captain Falcon immediately charged toward Shulk and tried to land an attack, but Shulk used his Air Slash move, catching Falcon, Dedede, and Palutena in the move. Dedede recovered and spun his massive hammer at Kirby. Falcon also recovered, got behind Shulk, then grabbed him and slammed him into the ground. Once Shulk got to his feet, his eyes began to glow as he had a vision of the future. Once the vision ended, he jumped out of the way of a sword swing from Lucina and counterattacked, hitting both his girlfriend and the king of Dreamland. As the two of them got back on the stage, Shulk dodged a few sword swings from Lucina before parrying and knocking her to the ground.

"No hard feelings, right?" Shulk asked.

"That depends on how hard you fight." Lucina replied before swinging her sword at Shulk again.

The pair then traded a few more weapon blows before Dedede jumped between them and started attacking Lucina.

Shulk ran for the opposite end. He grabbed Captain Falcon by the shirt, hit the racer with the Monado's handle, then threw him forward and hit him with the Monado's energy blade. Shulk then swung his massive sword at the ground, knocking Palutena off her feet.

King Dedede swung his hammer at Lucina, knocking her off the stage. Ultimately, she was unable to recover, and was KO'd. Kirby landed a powerful kick on his opponents, and everyone caught in it was thrown back. Shulk pointed his Monado forward and hit Palutena and Falcon with his blade. They were both thrown away from Shulk, but then King Dedede ran up, grabbed Shulk, threw him up, then hit him with the hammer. Before Shulk even hit the ground, Captain Falcon hit him and Sheik with a powerful kick upwards. As Shulk fell downwards, he cycled through his Monado Arts until a red symbol appeared in his sword. It was his Smash Art.

Shulk ran forward, hoping to use his current Art to knock someone off the stage, only to be caught in a flurry of punches from Kirby. Once Shulk escaped from Kirby, he ran toward Palutena, but the goddess avoided each of his attacks, before knocking him toward Dedede. While this was happening, Sheik was trying to attack Dedede, but Falcon came up behind the ninja and sent a knee to the back. Sheik was thrown across the stage and KO'd. Dedede then grabbed Shulk and tried throwing him off the stage, but Shulk recovered. As this was going on, Palutena launched beams of light from her staff toward Kirby, but the puffball dodged them before sending a strong kick toward the goddess. Once Palutena came back on the stage, Kirby tried inhaling her, but the goddess counted on this and stayed out of his reach. What she did not count on was Captain Falcon coming up behind her and readying his most devastating attack.

"Falcon Punch!" He yelled as he sent a fiery punch at the goddess.

Palutena was then KO'd by the attack. By then, Shulk's Smash Art had worn out, but he didn't care much. Just then, Captain Falcon was launched toward Shulk, courtesy of an attack from Kirby. Before either of them hit the ground, Shulk swung at the captain with his Monado, which resulted in Captain Falcon getting KO'd.

Now, only Kirby and King Dedede were still in Shulk's way. Shulk jumped up and tried to land his signature Back Slash on Kirby, but it missed. Dedede came up behind him, grabbed him, and threw him upward with his massive hammer. Shulk was almost KO'd by the attack, but fell back toward the stage. The Monado wielder quickly activated his Shield Art to lessen his chances of losing the battle. He tried landing a few more attacks, but both Dreamland residents danced around them before Dedede brought down his massive hammer on both of his opponents. Shulk would have been KO'd if not for the Shield Art. When Kirby landed, he somehow grabbed Dedede with his fingerless hands, punched him twice in the face, then jumped up and brought the hammer wielder down with him. The force of the impact almost knocked Dedede out of the fight. Kirby then moved to attack Shulk, but the blonde pointed his blade upward and activated the energy blade. Kirby was hit, thrown upward, and KO'd. Only King Dedede remained now. The fat king tried to grab Shulk, but Shulk dodged and counterattacked. He stabbed Dedede with the Monado, then brought out the blue glowing blade. The force of both hits caused Dedede to fly off the stage, resulting in a KO. Shulk had won his first battle, but there were still more to come.

"This is a good result!" Shulk said as he left the Windy Hill Zone stage.

* * *

Shulk was brought back to the flying stadium he had started this whole thing on. He saw that the statues of all the fighters he had just faced were gone, as were the statues of several other fighters, leaving some smaller groups made up of those that were left.

Shulk found a grouping of 4 fighters and a picture of Hyrule Castle underneath them. He decided this would be his next battle. He went up and touched one of the statues of the Smashers and was again brought right to the stage.

" _Shulk vs.: Dr. Mario, Falco, Luigi, and Little Mac!_ " The announcer called.

Once all the aforementioned fighters made it to the stage as well, the fight began.

" _Ready? GO!_ " Screamed the announcer.

Dr. Mario landed the first move by using his large prescription paper to reflect a move from Luigi. Both of them were both hit by a spinning uppercut from Little Mac. Falco then landed his own spinning attack against Shulk. The future seer then got up and landed an attack on Luigi.

"Air Slash!" Shulk yelled.

Dr. Mario then landed a few punches on Little Mac before performing his tornado attack on both Mac and Falco. Falco managed to get away from the doctor and ran for the opposite end of the stage, where Shulk and Luigi were duking it out. Eventually, Dr. Mario and Little Mac made it over there as well. Everyone began trading punches until Shulk landed a Back Slash, knocking everyone but Little Mac back. The boxer was then punched by the doctor while Shulk swung his Monado at Falco. Dr. Mario threw a few pills in Shulk's direction, but none of them hit. But an attack from Falco did. Shulk was thrown away by the attack and almost didn't make it back on the stage.

On the opposite end of the stage, Little Mac swung a fist upward, knocking both Luigi and Dr. Mario into the air. When Dr. Mario landed, he grabbed Little Mac and swung him around a few times before releasing him and sending the boxer flying. Shulk tried landing a Back Slash on Falco, but the bird dodged before grabbing Shulk. He then threw Shulk to the ground before shooting him with his blaster a few times. Shulk retaliated by hitting the space pilot with a powerful swing of the Monado. Shulk then grabbed Falco and threw him forward with another Monado swing. Falco was almost thrown off the stage, but used his Fire move to get back on. The blast also hit Luigi, who was thrown from the stage and KO'd.

Each of the remaining fighters landed several blows on each other. Falco landed a spinning move on Dr. Mario, almost knocking the doctor off the stage. The doctor managed to stay on, however, and began attacking Falco.

"Shame there's not more than one doctor at the mansion, 'cause you're gonna need one when I'm through with you." Falco taunted.

They kept going at it until a powerful punch from Little Mac blew them all away. This punch also resulted in the KO of Falco, leaving only the doctor, the boxer, and the Monado wielder. While Dr. Mario was thrown to the other end of the stage, Shulk and Little Mac danced around each other for a few seconds before Mac managed to grab Shulk and punch him in the gut a few times until Shulk got away.

By now, Dr. Mario had caught up to the fight, only to be hit by Little Mac's most powerful punch. The doctor was instantly KO'd. However, while Little Mac had his back turned, Shulk jabbed the Monado in Mac's direction. The boxing champion was instantly knocked off the stage and KO'd, ending Shulk's second battle.

"I've got a good rhythm going." Shulk said to himself as he was returned to the floating stadium.

* * *

Shulk now noticed there was only one group of fighter statues left, sitting at the center of the arena. All the others had disappeared. With nowhere else to go, Shulk approached these statues and touched one of them to begin his third battle. He noticed that one of them had a blue glow surrounding it. Shulk knew that this meant this fighter was his designated rival.

Upon touching one of them, Shulk was taken to the stage called Peach's Castle. Once he arrived, he heard the announcer call out his opponents.

" _Shulk vs.: Lucario, Bowser Jr., Mario, Zero Suit Samus, and Mewtwo!_ "

Shulk prepared himself for his third fight in a row as the announcer began the fight.

" _Ready? GO!_ "

Shulk initiated the fight by trying to land a Back Slash against Lucario, but missed. Shulk then ran forward and swung his Monado, knocking back both Lucario and Bowser Jr., who was his designated rival. Samus, who was no longer wearing her bulky Power Suit and now fighting in a skintight blue jumpsuit, jumped up and tried landing an attack on Mewtwo, but missed.

Shulk then managed to hit Mewtwo with a jab of the Monado's energy blade, only to turn his back on the psychic type Pokémon and focus on Samus. With his back turned, Mewtwo landed an attack that swept both Shulk and Bowser Jr. off their feet (or propeller, in Jr.'s case). Shulk attempted to land an attack on Samus, but she dodged and jumped downward to go for Lucario. Shulk then attempted to grab Bowser Jr., but was hit by a boxing glove that suddenly spouted out of the Koopa Prince's Junior Clown Car. Shulk was knocked upward and hit a bumper that was floating above the stage. Shulk was instantly thrown downward, but landed on his feet. He then swung his Monado in a circle around his feet, sweeping up Bowser Jr..

Samus then activated the light whip on her blaster, zapping both Mario and Mewtwo, before the latter was hit by an upward attack courtesy of Lucario. Shulk then ran to join that fight, landing a hard hitting attack against the Italian plumber.

"Back Slash!" Shulk yelled as he attacked Mario.

Shulk was about to land another attack on the fighters in front of him, but a wrecking ball that suddenly came out of Jr.'s vehicle hit Shulk in the back. The Bionis resident retaliated by swinging the Monado behind him, knocking Jr. a fair distance away from him. Shulk then swung the Monado around his feet, knocking Lucario, Mario, and Samus off of theirs. Mewtwo tried to approach Shulk, but Shulk saw this and jabbed the Monado upward, hitting Mewtwo with the energy blade. The Pokémon was thrown into the air, only to by hit across the stage by Mario.

Lucario ran to attack Shulk, but Samus jumped between them and sent a jet powered kick to Lucario's face. She almost hit Shulk with the same attack, but a vision warned him beforehand, and he dodged the attack. Shulk then jumped up and landed another Back Slash against Mario, throwing the red clad hero more than halfway across the stage. But while Shulk was facing Mario, Bowser Jr. came up behind him and attacked Shulk with twin drills that came out of the Junior Clown Car. Shulk was thrown a fair distance away while an attack from Mario sent Lucario flying a similar distance in the opposite direction.

Mewtwo jumped up and tried to use a psychic attack on Mario, but the attack missed and Mario retaliated by grabbing Mewtwo. He then threw the Pokémon upward, and Mewtwo hit the flying bumper, knocking him up even more, then KO'ing the Pokémon. Mario then ran toward Shulk and Bowser Jr. knocking both in opposite directions with a spin attack. But then Lucario came up and hit both Mario and Samus with an Aura attack, throwing both Smashers backwards. Shulk was about to initiate a Back Slash on Lucario, but was caught up in another Drill attack from Bowser Jr.. This attack almost launched Shulk off the stage. Samus then came up, grabbed Jr., then sent him away with a jet kick. She then sent a sweeping kick underneath Lucario, knocking the blue Pokémon off his paws.

Bowser Jr. managed to get back on the stage by ejecting from his vehicle and letting it self-destruct. As soon as he landed, another Junior Clown Car instantly spawned out of nowhere, for some reason. Shulk then ran right back into the fray, but not before activating his Shield Art to protect himself. He landed a few attacks on his opponents before being kicked away by Samus. The female bounty hunter then swung her light whip upward, zapping Mario and sending him flying into the floating bumper, where he was thrown even higher into the air and almost KO'd. Bowser Jr. then used his Drills on Lucario, sending him flying away, only for Samus to take the Pokémon's spot and use her whip on both Jr. and Shulk, who had jumped up in an attempt to KO Jr..

Once Shulk recovered from Samus's attack, he retaliated by swinging the Monado under her feet. But then Mario, who had finally made it back on the stage after Samus's attack, hit Shulk with a few punches and kicks. But then Jr. came up and hit Mario with his Drills. This, combined with an attack from the Monado, sent Mario flying until he was KO'd. Lucario then turned his attention to Shulk by hitting him with a strong Aura attack. Shulk was thrown upward, but was saved by his Shield Art. Samus then sent a powerful attack at Bowser Jr., KO'ing the Koopa.

Shulk knew he had now lost his chance at getting bonus prizes, but he really didn't care. A few bonus rewards were of little consequence to him. There was something else he was hoping to get when this whole thing was over. Something far greater than any sort of reward that beating his appointed rival could have given him.

By now, Shulk's Shield Art had deactivated. It was now down to him, Samus, and Lucario. The Aura Pokémon sent a large blue ball of Aura toward Samus, but she dodged by jumping downward toward Shulk. She landed a few powerful punches on Shulk, but he managed to stand his ground and keep fighting. Samus then grabbed Shulk, kneed him in the face a couple times, then threw him behind her, hoping he would fall off the stage. She had no such luck as Shulk managed to make it back on the stage. Even more unlucky for her, Lucario snuck up behind her and landed a devastating Aura attack, sending her flying off the stage until she was KO'd.

Now only Shulk and Lucario remained. Shulk landed an Air Slash on Lucario before running to attack the Pokémon when he landed. When he did, Shulk grabbed Lucario before throwing him forward with a swing of the Monado. Shulk then activated one of his Arts, hoping to end the fight.

"Smash!" Shulk yelled.

When Lucario got back on the stage, Shulk jabbed him with the Monado, sending his opponent flying, only to have him be saved by a floating piece shaped like a triangle. Lucario got back on the stage and started charging up an Aura sphere, only to have Shulk Back Slash him before it could be unleashed. With the help of the Smash Art, Lucario was thrown from the stage and KO'd ending the fight.

* * *

Shulk was now at approximately the halfway mark of Classic Mode. Three battles down, three to go, then the final battle against Master Hand. He hoped he would actually make it that far. He knew what would be waiting for him if he did. Still, he was ready and willing to face it.

"It's time to move on." Shulk said to himself as he prepared for the next set of battles.

* * *

 **I think this might be the fastest I've ever gotten a chapter out. Go figure.**

 **Also, yes, this will be what the next two chapters are like. Lots of fighting with little in the way of story. Rest assured, I do have something resembling a payoff going in at the end of this arc. I can only hope it will be worth it.**

 **Those of you who have/had Smash for Wii U should know what's coming next. At 9.0 difficulty, this mode doesn't play around. I've played it at that difficulty numerous times, and more often than not, that last battle has kicked my ass 6 ways to Sunday. And despite that, I'm very much looking forward to putting words to that final battle. Still, I have three more battles to write out before I get there. I promise to do everything in my power to make that last battle as exciting as possible. But as for those of you who have only played the 3DS version of Smash, let me tell you, the final battle is different in the Wii U version. How different? Well I suggest you either watch a playthrough of Wii U Classic Mode on YouTube, or wait until I get there myself.**

 **Still, what were your thoughts on this chapter? What do you think of my personal interpretation of Classic Mode? Or the fights themselves for that matter? I know they were fairly short, but what can you do when each character only has one stock? If this was somewhat disappointing to any of you, I'm sorry. But I assure you that very shortly, I will be returning to more story based chapters, rather than just mostly fighting. There will still be fights, yes, but they won't take up the majority of the chapter like they did here or in the next two chapters. Still I ask that you all refrain from leaving unnecessarily hurtful comments. I don't need any more negativity in my life, I'm dealing with enough crap as is, trust me.**

 **Coming up next: The next three battles of Classic Mode.**

 **Until then, so long and farewell.**


	16. Classic Mode: Part 2

**Hey guys. I'm here, so let's just get this over with so I get to something more substantial.**

 **Althea Sirius: You'll just have to wait and see what Shulk has planned. Still, glad you liked the chapter. Also, no. I don't find the idea of a friendship between Sonic and Shulk weird.**

 _ **Super Smash Bros.**_ **© Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai**

* * *

* _Classic Mode arena_ *

* * *

Shulk was now about halfway done with his run at Classic Mode. He had just finished his third battle against Lucario, Bowser Jr., Mario, Zero Suit Samus, and Mewtwo. Now Shulk only had three more battles to go through before reaching Master Hand himself at the last battle.

Shulk watched as more statues resembling his fellow Smashers fell from the sky in groups. There weren't quite as many as last time, but Shulk knew this was because he only had to fight these guys in two battles before going up against a squad of Miis. After that, he would face Master Hand.

Shulk went up to a group of Smashers consisting of Pac-Man, Ike, and Ganondorf. They appeared to be standing on a picture of the Pirate Ship stage. Once Shulk touched one of the statues, he was instantly teleported to the deck of the ship. His opponents arrived as well as the announcer called out the fight.

" _Shulk vs.: Pac-Man, Ike, and Ganondorf!_ "

" _Ready? GO!_ "

Once the fight began, Shulk made the first move by executing an Air Slash against Ike, who was standing on a platform connected to the ship's mast. He tried catching Ganondorf in this attack as well, but the King of Darkness instead landed a strong punch on both Shulk and Pac-Man, who had jumped up to join the fight. Pac-Man was knocked toward the stern of the ship while Shulk was knocked onto the top platform of the mast.

Pac-Man got up and attempted to throw a cherry at his opponents, but missed. Likewise, Shulk jumped off the mast and attempted to land a Back Slash, but only managed to hit Ike's cape. Once he landed, Shulk ran forward and swung his Monado at Ike, knocking the mercenary back a few feet. But just then, Ganondorf came up and grabbed Shulk by the throat before throwing him to the ground with dark magic. Ike charged forward in an attempt to swipe his sword at all three of his opponents, but Shulk was faster. He rose to his feet and swung the Monado around him, sending Ganondorf and Pac-Man flying toward the ship's bow, while Ike was knocked off the ship and had to hang onto the stern to avoid falling in the water.

Shulk ran up and attempted to attack both Ganondorf and Pac-Man, but the evil king kicked Shulk in the face, sending him back a few feet. Pac-Man then ran up and sent some kicks toward Shulk as well. Ike then swung his sword, knocking back both Shulk and Pac-Man. Once Shulk landed, he stopped for a second to catch his breath.

"Can't afford to be so careless again." Shulk muttered to himself.

Ganondorf then performed his signature warlock grab on Pac-Man, only to have the yellow ball get up and hit the wielder of the Triforce of Power onto a smaller ship that had just appeared behind the pirate ship. Shulk jumped up and attempted to hit Ike, who was currently on top of the mast, but missed. Ike jumped off the mast and made his way toward Pac-Man and Ganondorf.

On the smaller ship, Ganondorf attempted a Warlock Punch on Pac-Man, but missed. Pac-Man retaliated by sending a ghost powered punch at Ganondorf, which wound up KO'ing the King of Evil. Shulk then came up and landed one of his most devastating attacks on Pac-Man.

"Back Slash!" The Monado wielder screamed.

The attack did some damage, but not enough to KO Pac-Man, only knock him in the water. Shulk then jumped back onto the larger ship. As he was in the air, Shulk attempted to hit Ike, who was standing on the stern of the ship, with the Monado, only to have Ike parry the attack. Shulk landed behind the mercenary and jabbed the Monado at his back. Once the blue glowing blade came out, Ike was thrown off the ship. As the smaller boat had fallen back, Ike landed in the water.

Pac-Man then pulled a fire hydrant out of seemingly nowhere and threw it to the ground in front of Shulk. Two gusts of water came out of the hydrant, knocking both Shulk and Ike back, but Shulk did manage to hit the hydrant off the ship with the Monado's long reach. Shulk then landed another Back Slash against Pac-Man, who was thrown back several feet. The future seer then pointed the Monado in Ike's direction, hitting the mercenary off the ship with the Monado's long blue blade. Ike attempted to jump back on the ship, but just fell in the water instead.

Pac-Man then sent a couple kicks at Shulk's back, and then attempted to grab him. But the grab was unsuccessful as Shulk sidestepped behind the dot muncher and grabbed him instead. After hitting Pac-Man with the handle of the Monado, Shulk threw the yellow ball forward with a swing of the powerful blade. Both he and Ike made it back on the ship, only for Shulk to swing the Monado in a circle around his feet, knocking both of them off again. The attack was powerful enough to knock Pac-Man into the stage's invisible barrier, KO'ing him.

"Two down, one to go." Shulk muttered.

With only Ike left on the stage, Shulk activated one of his Arts to end the fight quickly.

"Smash!" Shulk yelled.

Ike, who had been saved by the small boat that had managed to catch up again, jumped back onto the main ship. Or at least, he tried to. Before he could get on, he was hit with a swing of the Monado, which sent him falling into the water between the two sea vessels. Once Ike did make it back on, he attempted to land his signature Aether move on Shulk, but missed. Shulk then ran forward, grabbed Ike, then threw him upward before jabbing him with the Monado, throwing him even more skyward.

While Ike was still in the air, Shulk attempted an Air Slash, but Ike dodged. Once both fighters made it back on the ship, Ike swung his powerful sword at Shulk, sending the blonde toward the bow of the ship. The two ran at each other, and ultimately, Shulk struck first, hitting Ike all the way toward the small boat thanks to the Smash Art. Shulk ran onto the boat as well in an attempt to finally KO Ike and end the match, but the mercenary jumped back on the main ship before this could happen. By now, the Smash Art had deactivated.

Once Shulk made it back on as well, Ike quickly grabbed him, hit him with his sword's handle, then punched Shulk into the air. Once Shulk landed, he was hit with another powerful attack from Ike, only for Ike to be hit with a bomb that had been launched from a tower several feet away from the ship.

As soon as both combatants made it back on the ship, Ike attempted to KO Shulk by hitting him off the bow of the ship, but Shulk sidestepped his way behind Ike and hit him with the Monado, which ultimately wound up KO'ing Ike, ending yet another match.

* * *

With his fourth victory under his belt, Shulk prepared for his final battle against his fellow Smashers. Or, in this case, Smasher. There was only one lone statue sitting at the center of the arena. Shulk recognized the figure as Rosalina, protector of the cosmos, keeper of the Comet Observatory, and mother to all Lumas, or at least, that's what Mario said. By her side, she had a yellow star shaped creature. This was a Luma. Shulk had seen them around the mansion before. They always seemed to follow Rosalina like moths to a flame. She appeared to be standing on a picture of a stage known as Woolly World.

Shulk went up and touched the Rosalina statue. As soon as he did, he was instantly taken to the stage.

" _Shulk vs.: Rosalina & Luma!_" Cried the announcer.

Once both combatants made it to the stage, they stared each other down.

"You've done quite well so far, Shulk, but now you must face me alone. I'm afraid there's no chance another Smasher can eliminate me for you." Rosalina said.

"I welcome a good challenge." Shulk returned.

" _Ready? GO!_ "

Shulk ran toward Rosalina, aiming to make the first hit, but she sent one of her Lumas forward to intercept him. It didn't work, as Shulk jumped over the Luma. Rosalina then jumped over Shulk, only for the Monado wielder to grab her when she landed. Shulk then threw Rosalina behind him with a little help from the Monado. Shulk then tried to land another attack on Rosalina but missed. She then grabbed Shulk and threw him to the ground.

Upon getting back up, Rosalina sent a backflip kick at Shulk, sending him into the air. As he came back down, he swung the Monado at Rosalina, but missed. She then hit Shulk with her wand, sending him back a few steps. Shulk then sent an Air Slash at his opponent, knocking her airborne. Once they both landed, they found themselves at the edge of the stage. Shulk, hoping to end this quickly, jabbed the Monado in Rosalina's direction. It hit, but it was not quite enough to KO her. Shulk tried again, but Rosalina dodged by hitting Shulk with her wand repeatedly. The space princess then made her way toward the center of the stage.

At this point, a sign with up arrows appeared in the background of the stage, and the background itself seemed to change from grassy fields to clouds. This told both Shulk and Rosalina that the ground was about to fall away. They both jumped onto one of the platforms hanging above the stage.

Once they were both on a cloud shaped platform, Rosalina used her superior air fighting abilities to jump up and send a backflip kick at Shulk. He was knocked onto a platform that appeared to be made of wood. Rosalina jumped up and kicked Shulk once again, sending him back a few feet.

The two danced around each other for a few seconds until both found themselves on a thin, cloud shaped platform. Shulk attempted to hit Rosalina with the Monado, but he was struck by a Luma before the attack could connect. Then Rosalina herself swung her wand, blasting Shulk back and off the platform, though, he did manage to get back on.

Shulk then swung the Monado at Rosalina, but missed again. Shulk then had a vision of the future complete with his signature glowing eyes. The Luma then hit Shulk twice, but before a third hit could be landed, Shulk jumped back, then swung the Monado at Rosalina. She was hit and thrown back. However, she quickly recovered and continued the battle.

Shulk's attack from earlier caused the yellow Luma to become separated from Rosalina. It fell down and was KO'd, leaving Rosalina without any support. The guardian of the cosmos was then hit with an upward jab from the Monado. Rosalina was knocked skyward, but when she landed, she managed to dance around many of Shulk's attacks.

Shulk ultimately managed to grab Rosalina and throw her behind him with a little help from the Monado. Still, she jumped back on the stage, and even managed to dodge another one of the Monado's attacks. But just then, Shulk jumped up and gave the Monado a hard swing in Rosalina's direction. This attack was enough to launch the space princess into the stage's invisible barrier, KO'ing her, and ending Shulk's fifth match.

Shulk knew that he was now done fighting in battles against his fellow Smashers. His remaining opponents would be a squad of Miis, then Master Hand himself. He prepared himself for his final 2 battles.

* * *

With Rosalina defeated, Shulk was now standing alone in the center of the arena. When he looked up, he saw several statues falling toward him. The statues landed in a circle, completely surrounding Shulk. These statues all resembled Miis. Some had their fists raised, some were holding swords, and some had arm cannons that looked like they were borrowed from either Mega Man or Samus. Shulk knew he was about to go up against a large group of Miis in battle. He was slightly nervous about this battle. While Miis were easily launched and not very difficult to KO, they were still formidable opponents, especially when they fought in a group. The Miis were notorious for attempting to swarm their opponents like bees. Still, Shulk was determined to see this through to the end. He touched one of the Mii statues and was instantly taken to the Battlefield stage.

" _Shulk vs.: Fighting Mii Team!_ " Screamed the announcer.

Shulk noticed that there were 5 Miis on the stage to start off with, 2 fighters, 2 swordfighters, and a gunner. Three of them were on the main part of the stage, while the other two, and Shulk himself, were on small platforms floating above the stage.

" _Ready? GO!_ " Called the announcer.

Shulk's eyes instantly began scanning for the gunner, as he felt that said gunner would be his greatest threat at the start. But because of this, Shulk didn't notice a fighter run under his platform and jump up in front of him.

"Surprise!" The Mii yelled as he was face to face with Shulk.

Before Shulk had a chance to react, the Mii fighter punched Shulk in the face, knocking him off the small floating platform. Shulk fell on his back as some of the Miis approached the fallen fighter. Shulk quickly got to his feet and swung the Monado around him. The attack managed to knock back 2 Miis. They almost fell off the stage, but managed to get back on.

The same Mii fighter that had punched Shulk attempted to hit him again, but Shulk's eyes began to glow as he had a vision. Once it ended, Shulk instantly jumped back and the Mii hit the ground. Shulk then swung the Monado at the Mii, almost KO'ing him. But the fighter did manage to land back on the stage.

Shulk then activated his Smash Art as two Miis, a swordfighter and a gunner, came up on him. The swordfighter swung his weapon at Shulk, but the Monado wielder had another vision of the future and reacted accordingly. He dodged the sword swing, and retaliated with a sword swing of his own. With the extra knockback granted by the Smash Art, both Miis were launched far backward. One of them was KO'd, while the other one tried to get back on the stage, but failed. The Mii fell into the abyss below the stage, resulting in a KO. Two more Miis spawned onto the stage in their place.

Right after landing his devastating attack, Shulk was hit by a punch from another Mii fighter. Once he recovered from the attack, Shulk swung his Monado in a circle around his feet. The fighter that had just punched Shulk was caught up in the attack and was KO'd. Shulk then performed the same move, resulting in the KO of another Mii. It was during this series of attacks that the Smash Art deactivated itself.

Shulk was quickly hit by an attack from a swordfighter, only to be knocked upward by a fighter, and was then hit in the face by the arm cannon of a gunner that had just spawned right in front of Shulk. As he was falling, another gunner blasted Shulk off the stage, almost KO'ing him. But with the help of a well timed Air Slash, Shulk managed to get back on the stage.

Once he was back on, he sent a few minor attacks at the horde of Miis before sending a strong one at a Mii gunner. Just then, two Miis jumped up on the platform above where Shulk was currently standing. Shulk took advantage of this by pointing the Monado upward and extending his energy blade. The resulting attack launched both Miis upward until they hit the barrier around the stage. Both were KO'd.

Shulk then swung the Monado at another Mii fighter, only for a gunner to take his place and hit Shulk with a series of laser blasts, knocking him back. Another fighter came up to Shulk and kicked him off the stage. Shulk managed to get back on only for a gunner to blast him with a short series of laser blasts, twice. Shulk responded by sidestepping two Miis and jabbing the Monado at them. Both were thrown off the stage and did not get back on, resulting in 2 KO's.

Shulk attempted to jump over one of the Mii gunners, but the gunner sent a series of short blasts over his head, hitting Shulk. Once he gained his bearings, Shulk swung the Monado at the ground, sweeping 3 Miis up in the attack. One was immediately KO'd while the other two were thrown far enough off the stage that they could not recover. They fell beneath the stage and were KO'd.

"So far, so good." Shulk muttered to himself as he knew he was now done with about half of the Miis in this battle.

Shulk reactivated his Smash Art in an attempt to finish off the remaining Miis. The first thing Shulk did once the Art turned on was run up to 2 Miis and swung the Monado at them. With help from the Smash Art, they were both KO'd. Just then, a Mii fighter came up and kicked Shulk in the back, sending the Bionis resident falling on his face. But Shulk quickly got up and swung his Monado on his way up. This swing hit one of the Miis and KO'd her.

Shulk then ran for the right end of the stage and grabbed one of the Miis. Shulk then threw the Mii to the ground before jabbing the Monado at the Mii. The recoil was enough to launch the Mii into the air and KO him. Shulk then danced around the attacks of several Miis as his Smash Art wore off.

A gunner came up to Shulk and blasted him off the stage. Shulk almost got KO'd, but thanks to an Air Slash, Shulk managed to grab hold of the edge of the stage. Three Miis were standing at the edge of the stage, waiting for Shulk to come up. Unfortunately for them, Shulk used the opportunity to jump up and swing the Monado at them before they could react. Two of them managed to jump back on the stage, but the third one couldn't quite manage it and was KO'd.

Two Miis then tried jumping up and land behind Shulk. But Shulk saw their jump and intercepted them. He jabbed the Monado upward, and its energy blade hit the Mii gunner and swordfighter. Both of them were launched upward and KO'd.

There were only two Miis left, a swordfighter and a fighter. The swordfighter swung his weapon at Shulk, launching him off the stage. Shulk just barely managed to grab hold of the left edge of the stage. The swordfighter stood at the edge of the stage and waited for Shulk to make a move. The move Shulk made was to swing the Monado at the Mii while jumping up. The Mii was launched clean across the stage and fell into the awaiting abyss, resulting in a KO.

Only one Mii left. The fighter kicked Shulk, once again throwing him off the stage, only for Shulk to once again grab hold of the edge. Just like the swordfighter before him, the fighter stood at the edge of the stage, only to be hit by the Monado. But unlike before, this Mii managed to get back on the stage. However, before he could do anything, Shulk ran up and sent a horizontal slash of the Monado at the Mii, resulting in the last KO. Shulk had won his second to last battle.

Shulk knew he only had one more battle to get through before this whole thing was over. He also knew that this last battle would be harder than any other he had ever faced in all his time at Smash Bros.. Even then, there was something Shulk planned on doing once this battle was over. Something he believed would be even harder than this upcoming battle. Still, he was determined to see his plans through to the end.

Back at the auditorium of the Smash Mansion, all the Smashers were watching Shulk 's progress intently. Many of them were impressed that he had made it this far, but they also knew that the worst was yet to come. It was for this reason that some of the Smashers had concerned expressions on their faces. One of these concerned Smashers was none other than Lucina. Though she did not doubt Shulk's fighting prowess, this did not keep her from worrying about him. She had seen what he would face next, was could only hope he got past it unscathed.

Back at the arena, Shulk found himself completely alone.

"So, what do I do now?" Shulk asked no one in particular.

All of a sudden, a black hole emerged beneath Shulk's feet. This black hole quickly expanded and engulfed the entire arena, Shulk included, in darkness.

"W-what is this?! What's going on!? HEY!" Shulk yelled as he was consumed by the darkness.

* * *

 **Six battles down, one to go.**

 **We're almost at the end of this Classic Mode arc. Once it's over, I finally get the chance to return to something more substantial. Still, one more chapter before that happens. Even so, I do hope you enjoy the next chapter, and this one as well, for that matter. Even if not, keep anything overly negative to yourselves, please.**

 **I know that at this point of Classic Mode, the fighters change into alternate costumes and use alternate moves, but I just couldn't think of a way to incorporate either into this story. Not in a way that made sense, anyway. So I kept them in their regular costumes and had them use their regular moves. If you recall, I said I prepared for this by playing Classic Mode, wrote down who and where I fought, then went back and re did all the fights as regular Smashes, since you can't record entire playthroughs of Classic Mode. The exception to this was the battle against the Miis. I flat out copied that from a YouTube video of Shulk going through Classic Mode. Though, I did make a few changes. In the original video, Shulk was KO'd once and used a variety of items in the battle. Since I didn't want to incorporate either, I simply wrote around them as necessary. I intend to do the same thing for the final battle.**

 **Coming up next on this story: Take a wild guess.**

 **I should have it out fairly soon. So, until the next 3-4 days, tops, I'll see y'all around.**


	17. Classic Mode: Part 3

**Welcome, one and all, to the finale of the Classic Mode arc. I need only finish this chapter, then I can return to chapters with more story to them. But first, I must write out the final battle. How will it go? Well, stay tuned to find out.**

 **Althea Sirius: You are correct. And here is that last opponent. Also, this story will be transitioning to 'Ultimate' very soon. I hope you enjoy it.**

 **Blackhawks8: I'm glad you like my version of Classic Mode. And you will know by the end of this chapter whether your prediction was right or wrong. Do tell me whether you were or not.**

 _ **Super Smash Bros.**_ **© Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai**

* * *

"Where am I? Is anyone there? 'ello?" Shulk asked.

Shulk could see nothing but unending darkness wherever he looked. He didn't know what had happened. One moment, he had finished a battle against a horde of Miis, and the next, he was consumed by a black hole.

Suddenly, the darkness began to disappear, and Shulk saw that he was on a stage called Final Destination. Shulk now understood. This would be where his last battle took place. He then heard the announcer call out the fight.

" _Shulk vs.: Master Hand and Crazy Hand!_ "

The Monado wielder made ready to fight the large disembodied hands as they approached him. He was ready to end his run at Classic Mode.

Master Hand then approached Shulk with a sinister laugh, while Crazy Hand approached from behind with an equally sinister cackle. The two hands pounded against each other as if fist bumping before approaching Shulk.

Shulk made the first move. He ran up to Master Hand and swiped the Monado at him. Master Hand responded by swiping himself clean across the stage, smacking Shulk in the process. Crazy Hand then created a large purple ball of energy and slammed it to the ground. Shulk managed to dodge it, however.

What he did not dodge was a punch from Master Hand. The large hand had curled himself into a fist and brought himself down onto the stage, taking Shulk with him. As Master Hand shook off the force of the punch, Shulk rose to his feet and struck Master Hand twice with the Monado, once from below and once from above. One more attack from Shulk sent Master Hand toward the right end of the stage, close to where Shulk was standing, while Crazy Hand went left and hovered a few feet above the stage.

"Crazy, prepare for the Power Ball attack." Master Hand ordered.

"Okie day! Let's play super ping pong!" Crazy Hand babbled.

Master Hand then created a moderately sized bluish-green ball of energy and flung it at Crazy Hand, who immediately smacked it back toward Shulk. The ball hit Shulk and he was thrown off the stage, but managed to get back on. Right after the first ball was launched, Master Hand created another one, which was also hit by Crazy Hand toward Shulk, although this one missed.

The two hands then switched positions. Crazy Hand was now floating close to the stage while Master Hand was several feet in the air. Crazy Hand then created a large ball of energy, similar in color to the ones his brother had created, and hurled them at Master Hand, who flicked them toward Shulk. Crazy Hand created three of these balls, but none of them hit Shulk, who dodged each one.

Shulk returned to the offensive as he managed to strike Master Hand once before the next attack was landed. Master Hand spun himself around before launching himself upward like a rocket. He then came back down hard. Shulk had a vision predicting this attack, and jumped out of the way before counterattacking. But unfortunately, his foot slipped, causing Shulk to be caught up in the last few spins of Master Hand's attack.

While Master Hand was performing his move, Crazy Hand came up behind Shulk and attempted to grab him. He did, and Shulk found himself in the grip of the large hand. Despite his attempts to escape, Shulk couldn't get out of the giant fist he was trapped in. Crazy Hand squeezed his fist a few times, constricting Shulk even more. Crazy Hand then released Shulk by throwing him toward the edge of the stage. Shulk managed to land on his feet, and after taking a brief moment to stretch his muscles, prepared to continue fighting.

Crazy Hand then positioned himself on the center of the stage and extended his middle finger.

"Well, that's just rude." Shulk said.

Crazy Hand then blasted himself off like a rocket, flying off far beyond the stage before flying back at a high speed. He seemed to be locked onto Shulk. At the last second, Shulk managed to jump up and avoid being hit by Crazy Hand's still extended middle finger.

Master Hand then prepared another punch attack, but Shulk saw it coming and tried to run from it. Unfortunately, Master Hand followed him and did not unleash his attack until Shulk held still. Master Hand then brought himself down, but Shulk managed to dodge the punched this time by sidestepping out of the way.

Shulk now found himself near the center of the stage, where Crazy Hand was preparing another attack. Crazy Hand lied on his back and started twisting and shaking violently, almost as if he were having a seizure. Shulk managed to stay out of range of the attack, however. He then used the Monado's long reach to attack Crazy Hand while he was on the ground. Crazy then got up and continued to attack Shulk.

Master Hand then landed another attack by waving himself so fast that the wind was visibly blowing at a high speed. There were even a few ice blocks coming from the wind. Shulk was blown back by the heavy winds, but managed to keep his footing. He had to sidestep some of the ice blocks, but eventually forced his way to Master Hand. He then swung the Monado at Master Hand, stopping the wind attack. Shulk then looked up at Master Hand.

"It's gonna take more than that to stop me." Shulk said.

"Your battle is far from over, Shulk." Master Hand replied.

Master Hand then sent a powerful smack at Shulk, sending him flying across the stage. Shulk almost fell off, but managed to stop himself before falling off completely. He then got up and landed another attack on Master Hand. When this attack hit, time seemed to stop for a split second. Crazy Hand disappeared in a burst of purple flame as Master Hand floated toward the center of the stage. He then started shaking and jerking violently until a mass of black particles emerged from within Master Hand.

Master Hand seemed to violently explode as the black particles began to take shape. Shulk had heard from some of the other Smashers that this mass of particles was collectively called the Master Core. He had also heard that the Master Core took on many different forms. Master Core then morphed itself into its first form. It looked like a giant.

Shulk quickly activated one of his Arts in preparation of his fight with the Master Giant.

"Busta'!" Shulk said with his heavy accent.

With the Buster Art activated, Shulk jabbed the Monado upward, extending it's energy blade. This attack seemed to destroy the particles making up the head of the Master Giant, though it quickly reformed.

Five dark purple balls with red glows appeared around the head of the Master Giant. Shulk didn't know what they were, but guessed that it probably wouldn't be good. He then had a vision on the Master Giant pounding him into the ground with these purple balls before they exploded. Once the Master Giant brought its head down, Shulk quickly stepped back from the attack and swung the Monado at it. However, Shulk was unable to escape the explosion of the purple balls. They all blew up into blue, plus-shaped energy beams. These beams hit Shulk and threw him a fair distance off the stage. He managed to get back on and continue his attack.

As he was falling back on the stage, Shulk saw the Master Giant swipe its massive arm across the stage. A split second later, a massive blue laser came racing across the stage above Shulk's head. The Monado wielder guessed it was trying to hit him but missed as its arm was swiped while he was still in the air. Shulk landed back on the stage and continued to attack, even though his Buster Art had finally worn out.

All of a sudden, a vortex appeared in the Master Giant's head, trying to suck Shulk in. Shulk attempted to run away from it, but then purple balls of electricity raced across the stage. Shulk managed to dodge the first one, but the second one shocked him and knocked him into the Master Giant's vortex. Once inside, Shulk was hit with a number of devastating attacks before throwing him to the ground with enough force to throw him into the air.

As he was falling to the ground, Shulk landed another attack on the Master Giant's head. Upon landing, Master Giant released a powerful shockwave from its head, hoping to knock Shulk off the stage. However, the Monado wielder managed to sidestep the attack and land a counterattack.

Suddenly, a number of energy balls appeared above the stage. Shulk wondered what they were doing all the way up there until the Master Giant grabbed the edges of the stage and lifted it up. Shulk had to do some quick maneuvering in order to avoid being hit by the energy balls. The Master Giant then released the stage and it fell back into its proper place.

The Master Giant then unleashed another arm swipe across the stage, which resulted in another blue laser racing across the stage. Shulk managed to dodge the attack yet again as he approached the monster.

Shulk then jumped up and attacked the Master Giant. It seemed to explode in a mess of purple electricity as the black particles seemed to reshape themselves. The black particles landed on the stage and took the shape of some kind of monster with large teeth and a tail shaped like a scorpion's. This was a form known as the Master Beast. The Beast was fairly large, taking up almost half the stage.

Shulk quickly activated another one of his Arts in an attempt to protect himself from this enormous monstrosity.

"Shield!" Shulk yelled.

Shulk quickly landed an attack with the Monado before the Master Beast jumped high off of the stage and came back down hard on the right side of the stage. The force of the impact was enough to shake the entire stage. Shulk was almost knocked off his feet and fell on his backside. Luckily, he managed to stay upright as the stage evened itself out.

The Master Beast then approached Shulk before quickly flying off the stage and flying back quickly toward the stage. It brought its teeth down on Shulk, knocking him off the stage. He was only barely able to get back on and continue the fight.

Once Shulk was back on the stage, the Master Beast approached Shulk once again. But unlike before, where the creature tried to take a bite out of Shulk, this time, it called a powerful bolt of lighting from the sky, not unlike Pikachu's thunderbolt attack. Shulk had a vision of himself being electrocuted by the attack and being KO'd. In retaliation, Shulk jumped back once the lighting bolt hit and swung the Monado at the Master Beast. Unfortunately, Shulk got too close to the creature and was caught up in the last part of the thunderbolt attack. He was knocked off the stage, but quickly got back on. Shortly afterwards, the Monado's Shield Art shut off.

As Shulk was getting back on the stage, the Master Beast jumped up again and slammed down on the left end of the stage. Once the monster came back down, Shulk jumped up and hit it from above. The Master Beast then tried sending a shockwave attack at Shulk, but since he was airborne, it didn't work. Once Shulk landed back on the stage, Shulk swung the Monado behind him, once again hitting the Master Beast.

The Master Beast then approached Shulk again and flew off and attempted to take a bite out of Shulk again. However, Shulk managed dodge the attack this time around. He then swung the Monado at the Master Beast a few times before backing off to avoid another electric attack.

Shulk then landed another attack with the Monado. This caused the Master Beast to leap into the air yet again. The creature came down again, shaking the entire stage once again. Once the stage steadied, Shulk again hit the Master Beast with the Monado. In retaliation, the Master Beast sent another shockwave type attack, having spikes come out of the ground. Unlike last time, the attack hit and Shulk was thrown several feet into the air and almost KO'd.

Once Shulk landed back on the stage, the Master Beast slowly walked up to Shulk and prepared another thunderbolt attack. Shulk saw this coming and quickly backed away to avoid the onslaught of lightning that was about to come.

As soon as the lightning ending, Shulk again swung his powerful blade at the Master Beast. The creature roared in pain as another spew of black particles emerged from the creature. The Master Beast disappeared and in its place appeared a sword. Then the sword split into 5 separate swords. This was the next form of the Master Core. It was referred to as the Master Edges.

"How many forms does this thing have?" Shulk said with a groan.

Shulk again activated his Buster Art as he prepared to combat the Master Edges. Before the blades could even land a single attack, Shulk attacked with his own powered up blade. When the Master Edges floated several feet in the air, Shulk jumped up and jabbed it with the Monado again. When he landed, he jumped up and performed the same move on the swords again.

The Master Edges made their way to the right end of the stage and delivered its first attack. All five blades swung themselves twice. With each swing, a large ball of electrical energy came out of the swords. Shulk managed to avoid the first swing from the Master Edges, but was hit by the second one. He was sent reeling by the attack, and as a result, he was hit by both of the large electrical balls. Still, Shulk quickly recovered from the attack, and made ready to keep fighting.

The five blades of the Master Edges split apart and each took a position around the stage. The largest blade was directly above the center of the stage, while the other four swords were on the edge of the stage, two on each side. The blades quickly began swiping across the stage in an attempt to slice and dice the future seer. Shulk managed to evade the first two blades, but was violently knocked around by the other two. The fourth one actually knocked Shulk upward into the fifth blade, that had yet to fall. Shulk then fell to the ground. As soon as he landed, he had another future vision of himself being hit with the final blade, which was about to come down on him at a high speed. Once the vision ended, Shulk quickly got out of the way as the final sword came down. Before the Master Edges could do anything else, Shulk quickly struck it with the Monado.

The blades of the Master Edges quickly converged back together and prepared another attack. With a brief flash of light, all 5 blades gave a mighty swing across a good portion of the stage. Shulk managed to dodge the swing, but just barely. As he jumped out of the way he could see the edge of each blade mere inches from his face.

The Master Edges then performed the same two swings that summoned the electric balls from earlier. But this time, as opposed to two large balls, it summoned four smaller balls. Shulk managed to destroy two of them with the Monado, then promptly attacked the Master Edges themselves. The other two electric balls flew off into the distance before coming back around toward Shulk.

In response to Shulk's attack, the Master Edges launched two large balls of electricity once again. Shulk easily dodged them, but was hit by the two smaller balls of electricity he did not destroy before. Despite that, he quickly regained his bearings and set out to finish this fight.

"I've got to keep going!" Shulk said, despite the fact he was starting to get tired after this incredibly long fight.

The Master Edges again attempted its five part attack again, but this time, Shulk knew what to expect, and he expertly dodged them. Just then, Shulk struck the Master Edges with the Monado. This caused four of the blades from the Master Edges to promptly disappear. The one that remained quickly turned into a swarm of black particles just like the Master Giant and Master Beast before it.

Shulk wondered what form it would take next, and hoped it would be the last one. Much to his shock, the black particles took a form that looked just like him, only taller. It even had its own version of the Monado.

"W-what is that thing?" Shulk asked.

Shulk realized he would have to face this dark copy of himself. He only hoped he was strong enough to defeat it. Shulk knew he was a fairly tough fighter. Shulk ran up to his dark copy and swung the Monado upward, knocking the clone into the air. But then the clone jabbed its own Monado, complete with energy blade, downward, hitting the real Shulk. Shulk then swung upward again, knocking the clone upward again. Upon landing, the dark Shulk ran for the edge of the stage with the real Shulk in tow. Shulk prime attempted to land a Back Slash on his opponent, but the clone dodged with ease.

Shulk then sent his copy off the stage with a punch, kick, and Monado swing. But the clone, which had also gained Shulk's Monado Arts, activated its Jump Art and got back on the stage.

"It even has its own Monado Arts!" Shulk said in shock.

As the dark copy jumped back on the stage, Shulk attempted to jab the Monado at his clone, but missed. He then sidestepped behind the shadow clone and sent another punch, kick, and Monado combo at it. Shulk then noticed that the copy was a little shorter than it was when it first spawned. That's when Shulk realized, attacking it made it smaller, so all he had to do was wail on it until it was small enough to destroy.

The clone jumped back to the center of the stage, where Shulk quickly tried to attack it again. He missed, and the clone grabbed him and threw him to the ground with the help of the dark Monado. After recovering from that attack, Shulk attempted to jump over the clone, but it jabbed its Monado upward, striking Shulk with the energy blade. As he was falling down, the real Shulk swung his Monado at the clone, clipping it in the head and causing it to fall down.

Upon getting up, the clone sent its own punch, kick, Monado combo at the real Shulk. It was at this time the dark Shulk's Jump Art deactivated. Ironically, Shulk immediately knocked the copy off the stage right as the Art shut off. As it couldn't reactivate Jump just yet, the copy instead activated its Speed Art. It got back on the stage and quickly sidestepped the attack the real Shulk tried to land on it.

The copy then sent a quick Monado swing at Shulk but he managed to dodge by ducking behind the clone. Shulk then jabbed the Monado at the dark clone's back, almost knocking it off the stage, though it did recover. Shulk noticed that the copy was now shorter than he himself was. He hoped that meant he would defeat this thing soon.

Shulk cycled through his Arts until landing of the Buster one. It activated as the Monado took on a purple glow. It was then that Shulk had another vision. Once it ended, Shulk quickly sidestepped an attack from the dark Shulk and landed a powerful counterattack. Shulk then ran for his dark counterpart and jabbed it with the Monado. This finally defeated the creature.

The dark Shulk exploded as the swarm of black particles buzzed around where the copy had been before jettisoning in every direction, encasing Shulk's vision in darkness. Shulk then felt the particles pass over and around him as they formed up into a large fortress like structure with a single tunnel leading into it. This was (Shulk hoped it was) Master Core's last form, the Master Fortress.

Shulk slowly walked into the tunnel where he saw a glowing orb at the end of the path. But as he approached it, enemies made of the same black particles spawned in his path. One of them appeared to be some sort of knight like creature, complete with sword and shield. The other two appeared to walk on four legs and have some sort on cannon on their heads. Shulk quickly tried to attack the knight, but it jumped back. When Shulk tried again, his attack was blocked by the creature's shield. Shulk then, somehow, managed to grab it and threw it behind him while also hitting it with the Monado. The creature was instantly killed by this attack.

While this was going on, a large purple light appeared on the heads of both of the other creatures. Shulk quickly jumped behind them before he saw what they were. Both creatures blasted a large purple laser from their heads. But since Shulk was behind them, he was not hit by them. The Monado wielder quickly destroyed them with one swing of his blade per creature. Once they were out of the way, Shulk looked at the glowing pink orb. He decided killing it was probably what he was supposed to do, so he jabbed the Monado at it. It was promptly destroyed and Shulk heard something going on above him.

He then made his way back toward the entrance of the tunnel and found that a second tunnel had formed up above the first one. He also found a black sphere with a purple glow at the entrance. This sphere quickly launched a purple spear at Shulk. It missed, and Shulk retaliated with a swing of the Monado, which quickly drove away the sphere. Shulk then entered the second tunnel and was met with another one of the laser shooters and three spider like creatures climbing the floor and ceiling. After quickly dealing with these enemies, Shulk saw a strange, acid like substance on the wall. However, he ignored it and jumped down a chute at the end of the tunnel. He landed on a platform above a pool of what Shulk assumed to be acid. He then saw another one of the laser shooters prepare to fire its weapon, but Shulk quickly jumped over to it and knocked it into the acid with the Monado. The creature completely disintegrated upon contact with the yellowish-green substance.

"Note to self: Avoid the acid." Shulk said to himself.

Shulk jumped on a series of platforms above the acid, taking care not to fall in by mistake, and found another pink orb near the top of the cave he was currently in. After attacking it once, numerous enemies spawned to defend it, including two laser shooters and three spider creatures. He was attacked by one of the spider things, but fortunately, landed on one of the platforms below him. He then jumped up and killed two of the spider creatures. Shulk was then hit with the laser from one of the other monsters. Once the laser stopped firing, Shulk quickly regained his bearings and did away with the thing that had created the laser. He then went on to kill the other one before turning his attention back to the pink orb. He attacked it yet again, and destroyed it. He was then flung outside the Master Fortress, and found the same two tunnels from before waiting for him.

After deciding to go through the top tunnel, Shulk activated his Speed Art in an attempt to finish this quicker. He came across several enemies along the way, and also found both the ceiling and floor covered in patches of acid. After fighting his way past all the enemies and dodging all the acid, Shulk found himself on the opposite end of the Master Fortress. He saw another pink orb and swiftly destroyed it after disposing of the monsters guarding it. A slew of black particles then raced over Shulk, and when they stopped, Shulk saw that a new path had been created. Shulk also saw another black sphere in his path. Not wanting to take any chances, he quickly destroyed it before it could launch any sort of attack at him.

Shulk, who's Speed Art had run out at this point, quickly went down the newly created path, only to find himself above another pool of acid. There were also two knight monsters waiting for him. Shulk quickly sidestepped around one of them and knocked it into the acid. He then went for the other one, grabbed it, and threw it into the acid as well, where it shared the fate of its colleague. After walking into another cave, avoiding more spiders, and jumping over another pool of acid, Shulk destroyed two more monsters that were waiting for him, a knight and a laser creature. After dealing with them, Shulk found himself at the edge of another acid pool.

When he looked up, he saw one more pink orb. This one was much larger than the other three, and seemed to resonate some sort of dark energy. Shulk assumed this to be the last one, and quickly went about destroying it.

After killing another laser creature, he jumped up and destroyed all the monsters defending the orb. These included two black spheres, and one more laser creature sitting near the orb. He hit the orb with two strong attacks, but this only caused more monsters to spawn. Shulk did his best to ignore them and went back to attacking the orb.

After two more strong attacks from the Monado, the orb finally exploded in a burst of colors as all the black particles scattered away. Shulk then found himself back on Final Destination. A green ball with the Smash Bros. symbol in it then fell on the exact center of the stage. Shulk assumed this was the true form of the Master Core. After seeing so many other Smashers go through Classic Mode, each one encountering this ball at the end, no matter what they wagered, he knew what he had to do with it.

Shulk activated his Buster Art and started wailing on the Master Core. It slowly changed from green to yellow to dark red. Once it was red, Shulk deactivated the Buster Art and replaced it with the Smash Art. After an attack with the Smash enhanced Monado, the Master Core was launched off the stage and exploded in a flurry of black, white and purple. Shulk closed his eyes to protect them from the blinding light.

* * *

When he opened them again, he found himself back at the auditorium of the Smash Mansion. The other Smashers began to clap and cheer for Shulk for having made it through Classic Mode at the highest possible difficulty. Master Hand, who had seemingly reformed himself after turning into the Master Core, then went up to Shulk.

"Congratulations, Shulk. You have successfully cleared Classic Mode. I must admit, I'm very impressed that you managed to defeat all the forms of the Master Core. No one else here who has attempted to do so has succeeded. As you wagered the maximum amount of Smash Coins and succeeded, your rewards will be great. Behold." Master Hand said.

The giant hand then gestured to a large pile at the center of the auditorium. This pile consisted of a large amount of Smash coins, various collectable trophies, and numerous other prizes. Shulk was awed at all he had won, but was still hoping for one more prize before he would be satisfied.

"Is there anything you wish to say to your fellow Smashers?" Master Hand said.

This was it. Shulk knew this was it. He was going to try and get what he had hoped to get from the start of this whole thing. He knew this would not be easy, perhaps even harder than the battle he had just endured, but he was determined to see it through.

"Yes, there is. Lucina, would you come down here, please?" Shulk asked.

Lucina was confused as to why her boyfriend was calling out to her, but she did as he asked and walked down to where Shulk was. Once she was in front of him, Shulk took her hands.

"Lucina, we've known each other for nearly four years, and have been together for about three of those years. I know that's not truly that long a time, all things considered, but it's long enough for me to tell how I really feel. And, though I might not say it too often, I love you, Lucina. With all my heart and soul, I love you." Shulk stated.

"Oh my. Shulk, I…I love you too. I always will." Lucina replied.

Lucina then leaned in for a kiss, but Shulk stopped her.

"I'm not done yet. Now, listen closely, because this won't be easy for me. Public speaking, or overly affectionate talk was never a strength of mine, but I felt like this was something I had to do. There's something I want to ask you. Again, this won't be easy for me, but here goes. I felt like I had to do something grand before asking this. That's why I volunteered to go through Classic Mode. Now that it's over, I'm ready to ask."

Shulk then pulled a ring out of his pocket and held it up.

"I was wondering if… well… m-maybe… I-I was wondering if… * _deep breath_ * if you would like to marry me." Shulk stated.

Lucina's eyes widened and she quickly covered her mouth to cover her gasp. She processed Shulk's words before finally speaking.

"O-oh my! Oh gods! I… well… y-yes. Yes. I will. I would love to." Lucina stated.

Both Shulk and Lucina now had large smiles on their faces. They could not be happier. Shulk slipped his ring onto Lucina's finger before they engaged in a passionate kiss.

Mario was the first to stand up and begin clapping for the newly engaged couple. Marth quickly followed, and soon, nearly all the Smashers were clapping for the still kissing couple. Others, like Dark Pit and Mewtwo, simply smirked at the couple, but were still happy for them. Even Master Hand and Crazy Hand were snapping their fingers for the couple, as they could not clap.

"I think they'll have lots and lots of happy years together." Crazy Hand said in a rare moment of clarity.

"You know, brother, I think you're right." Master Hand replied.

"I hope they get a pizza flavored wedding cake!" Crazy then said.

* * *

 **Shulk and Lucina attained support level S.**

 **I take back what I said two chapters ago. THIS is the fastest I've ever gotten a chapter out. Only a little over 24 hours. I sincerely doubt I'll ever get another chapter out this fast, though. The only reason I got this out so fast was because I just had to write out a pre-existing fight, then a quick epilogue. Nothing that required me to really think of a story. But don't worry, next chapter, we will return to something with more story. Something that actually requires me to think before I write it down. Over the past three chapters, I didn't really have to think, only see. Plus, the intro and epilogue to this arc was something I had planned out months in advance, so again, little thinking.**

 **But, I'm glad that the next chapter will require me to think. I truly enjoy thinking out what scenarios I will use and thinking up what I will make my characters say. Still, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If so, leave a follow, favorite, or review. I really appreciate it when you guys do that. If you didn't enjoy it, either do nothing or keep your comments in the realm of constructive criticism. Outright hate will not be tolerated.**

 **Coming up next: We have a wedding to attend! I don't believe I'll have it out before the release of** _ **Super Smash Brothers: Ultimate.**_ **So, whether it's in this story, or on the battlefields of Smash, I hope to see all of you later.**


	18. The Wedding

**Good day to all of you. I trust the day has been treating you well. If so, great. If not, well, here's a new chapter of my story to cheer you up.**

 **It is now time for me to write out a wedding. While I have done so before in both of my other stories, neither one of those had much sustenance in them, when I look back. Hopefully this time around, I can add more detail than I did before. Please, enjoy.**

 **3 Question Marks: Thank you very much! Also, I agree, pizza flavored cake does sound quite delicious, as long as it's not pepperoni. For some reason, I never truly liked pepperoni. That's just me.**

 **Blackhawks8: I'm glad you were right about what would happen. I suppose you'll just have to see how things go from here. I do hope you enjoy. I'm glad you like my battle scenes. I typically copy them directly from my copy of Smash 4. And I will continue to do so once I get my hands on a copy of Ultimate. I will admit, it took me time before I was able to beat Classic Mode on max difficulty. Even to this day, whenever I try, more often than not, I fail. Hopefully the Classic Mode in Ultimate isn't quite as hard.**

 **Well then, let us proceed.**

 _ **Super Smash Bros.**_ **© Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai**

* * *

* _Smash Mansion living room_ *

* _1:00 PM_ *

* * *

"So, do you think we should hold the wedding inside the mansion or outside in the gardens?" Lucina asked.

"Hmm… I say gardens. More space." Shulk replied.

Shulk and Lucina were currently trying to figure out some of the details for how they wanted their wedding to go. They still had a long way to go, but they didn't mind.

Master Hand had requested that they hold their wedding in about two months' time. The reason for this is because, as had been rumored for some time now, the fourth Super Smash Bros. tournament was coming to an end, and a fifth one was to begin right after. Master Hand had asked them to hold their wedding as something of a closing ceremony for the fourth tournament.

Master Hand had also announced that unlike previous tournaments, no one would be sent home this time. There would be no cuts. Not only that, but everyone who had ever competed in Smash Bros. ever would be returning. This was especially exciting for some of the older veterans, who wanted to see their old friends again. Shulk and Lucina had heard names such as Snake, Ice Climbers, and Pichu get tossed around a lot. Also, as with all other tournaments, there would be a handful of newcomers. The engaged pair couldn't wait to see who would be coming. Because of the fact that everyone would be coming back, as well as several newcomers, some of the Smashers were already saying that this would be the 'Ultimate Tournament'.

Shulk looked over at Lucina, and couldn't believe he would be marrying such a beautiful woman soon. He hoped that he could make her happy. Suddenly, a question appeared in Shulk's mind.

"Say, Lucina. What exactly are weddings like in your world?"

"Well, I never truly got to experience one in my youth. But when I returned to the past, I did read a few things regarding Ylissean weddings in books. They are said to be rather grand affairs. I must say, the part I find most interesting is when the families and closest friends of the bride and groom walk down the aisle." Lucina said.

"Friends and family walking down the aisle? Can't say I've heard of that before." Shulk replied.

"Oh? The book I read made it seem like that was rather common. What are weddings like on your home, if I may ask?" Lucina inquired.

"Being honest, whenever something like that happened on Bionis, it was rather quick. The bride goes down the aisle, they get married, that's it. Besides, it's the reception everyone looks forward to more than the wedding itself."

"Reception?"

"Yeah, the reception. The afterparty. Where the newlyweds celebrate their new life together by dancing, eating cake, and talking with their friends and family. You don't have those?"

Lucina merely shook her head.

"No. According to what I read, the time spent leading up to weddings was rather long, and the event itself is said to be very grand, so once the ceremony is over, it is typically nightfall, meaning everyone goes to their beds afterwards. Truthfully, I would prefer not to do it in this fashion. I would rather not have to wait hours for me to have to walk down the aisle."

"Me neither." Shulk replied.

"But still, I am not sure what the point of a party is after the ceremony. Still, if you would prefer to do it the Bionis way, I will not object." Lucina said.

"Well, while I would prefer it that way, part of the reason I asked was because I was thinking perhaps maybe we could take parts of your traditions and parts of mine. Tell ya what, you agree to the afterparty, and I agree to the whole 'family walking down the aisle' thing. Deal?" Shulk asked.

Lucina thought for a minute before looking at Shulk.

"Very well. I agree." Lucina said.

* * *

About a week later, Shulk was walking around the mansion, looking for his bride to be. When he found her, he sat down next to her.

"Hey there, love. How are you?" Shulk asked.

The Monado wielder then noticed that Lucina had a bit of a saddened expression on her face. She then turned to face Shulk.

"Is something wrong, Lucina?" Shulk asked.

"Shulk. I'm sorry, but… I don't think I can do this." She answered.

"Do what?" Shulk inquired.

"Get married. I don't think it will work."

"W-what? Why not?" Shulk said, suddenly saddened and worried.

"There was something I did not consider when I said yes. Namely, the fact we come from two separate worlds. Smash Brothers will not last forever. And when it ends, we will all be sent home. How will this work if we are sent to two different places, never to see each other again?" Lucina explained.

"I kinda thought of that, actually. I was thinking perhaps once everything is said and done, you and I could return to Bionis together. You did say you intended to leave your dad to his life after killing Grima." Shulk said.

"I did say that, but I'm not sure anymore. Even before Grima was destroyed, he insisted that he wants me to stay. The rest of my family has said the same. I've been thinking that perhaps I should stay in Ylisse." Lucina responded.

"Lucina, listen. I love you, and I want to stay with you, no matter what. That includes our time here at Smash, and beyond. I know that we have many more years of Smash ahead of us. And when it's over, you and I will talk about where to go next, your world or mine. If we decide going back to your home is better, I will follow you."

Lucina mulled over Shulk's words before turning back to him with a smile now on her face.

"Thank you, Shulk. That was what I needed to hear. And I will follow you too if we decide to go back to your home. I am uncertain of what will happen, but there is one thing I am certain of."

Lucina then took Shulk's hands and looked him in the eye before continuing to speak.

"I love you. And no matter what the future holds, I'm going to cherish every moment."

The engaged couple shared a loving kiss. When they broke apart, Shulk spoke up once again.

"Now, what was I gonna ask you about? Oh yeah. I was told to ask you, what cake flavour do you prefer, chocolate or red velvet?"

* * *

Some time later, Shulk was walking down the hallway his bedroom was on, intending to grab something from his room. But before he could enter his room, Lucina emerged from her own room, which was right across the hall from Shulk's.

"Ah, there you are, Shulk. Might I speak to you?" Lucina asked.

Shulk turned to his soon to be wife with a smile.

"Course. What's up?" Shulk asked.

"There's something I wish to show you." Lucina answered.

With that, she pulled Shulk into her room. Once inside she walked over to something that was covered by a tarp. Lucina had a rather excited look on her face.

"Perhaps this isn't very traditional, but I could not resist. I wish to show you my chosen wedding dress!" Lucina said.

"Really? Alright then, let's see it."

With that, Lucina removed the tarp. The dress was very poofy, almost as if it were made by sewn together cotton balls. It was a very bright yellow in color, almost too bright to look at. It also had red stripes running across the dress in a diagonal fashion. Shulk looked at it in shock, and not the good kind.

"What do you think?" Lucina asked.

"It's certainly…something." Shulk replied.

"I'm especially fond of the red stripes. They remind me so much of your Monado. Isn't it just lovely?" Lucina asked with a smile on her face.

Shulk actually hated the dress. It was hard to tell that it even was a dress. He also wasn't overly fond of the color yellow, especially the kind of yellow that was very bright, like Lucina's dress was. However, Shulk was too embarrassed to openly admit this to Lucina. It wasn't often that Lucina smiled this brightly, and he didn't want to take that away from her.

"Y-yeah. It's beautiful, love." Shulk lied.

Lucina then moved to hug Shulk. As he returned her hug, he tried thinking of ways to get Lucina to wear something more visually appealing when they got married.

* * *

Shulk and Lucina were now only one week away from being married. As a wedding gift, Master Hand gave both of them the week off from fights in order to make final preparations. He also allowed their chosen Family Day visitors to come to the mansion early to help with those preparations. There were more than enough sofas in the living room to accommodate six visitors for a week. Master Hand also promised that all their other friends and family could come to the mansion the day of the wedding.

Shulk was currently talking with his friends Reyn, Dunban, and Riki in his room. He was telling them about how the big day itself would go.

"So, we're gonna be walking down the path too? Not just your girl?" Reyn asked.

"Yes. She says that's how they do things in weddings back at her home. She and I decided to mix customs." Shulk answered.

"Long as we get to eat cake and other good grub afterward, I'm good." Reyn responded.

"Reyn right! Riki want eat good food after Shulk get married to wifeypon!" Riki chimed in.

"Heh. Don't worry, you two. The whole lot of us will have plenty of food after the ceremony is over." Shulk said.

"Still can't believe you're getting hitched, man. Never thought I'd see the day." Reyn stated.

"Well, I suppose things change over the years. But I'm glad you lot will be here to see it happen." Shulk replied.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world, man. None of us would. Right, Dunban? Dunban?" Reyn asked.

Shulk's mentor seemed to be deep in thought. Not even Reyn calling his name seemed to break his concentration. It was only when Riki raised his voice did Dunban snap back to reality.

"Dundun! What wrong? Why you so quiet?" Riki asked.

"Hmm? Oh, forgive me. I was lost in thought. Like Reyn, I'm surprised you're going through with this. You've matured much since you left for this place. I'll also admit that… when I pictured you getting married, I was certain it was going to be to Fiora." Dunban admitted.

"Oh. Well, I'll admit, there was a time I thought that, too. But that time has passed. At least she and I parted on good terms. And I've moved on. And I hope Fiora does too." Shulk added.

"Of course. And like her, I hope you find much happiness with Lucina. If you don't mind me asking, what is it about her that first drew you to her side?" Dunban inquired.

"Hard to say, really. I think one of the first things I noticed about her was how similar we are. But we also have enough differences to keep things interesting. I think that's part of why this works." Shulk admitted.

"I see. Well, once again, I wish you much happiness with her." Dunban said.

"Thanks, Dunban." Shulk said with a smile.

"Alright, all that aside, I'm starting to get hungry. Anyone else mind if I go grab some grub?" Reyn asked.

"Actually, I'm starting to feel the same way myself. C'mon, I'll show you to the Mess Hall." Shulk offered.

* * *

The next day, both Shulk and Lucina were in the latter's room working on a few last-minute details.

"So we officially start this thing at noon exactly, yeah?" Shulk asked.

"Yes, I believe that would be an ideal time." Lucina responded.

As they were talking, Lucina's family entered the room. The first to enter was Lucina's father, Chrom. After him was her mother, Sumia, followed by her younger sister, Cynthia.

"You wanted to see us, Lucina?" Chrom asked.

"Yes, there was something I wish to show you." Lucina stated.

The blue haired woman then went over to her hideous yellow wedding dress, which, fortunately, was once again covered with a tarp. Unfortunately, Lucina uncovered it, allowing her family to see it. They gave it the same questionable look that Shulk had given it when he first saw it.

"Uh, what exactly is it?" Cynthia asked.

"It's a dress, of course." Lucina answered.

"Oh no." Sumia whispered, already knowing where this was going.

"Don't you think I'll look just lovely when I walk down the aisle wearing this?" Lucina said as she stood next to the dress.

"Walk down the… Lucina, please don't tell me you intend to wear _this_ as your wedding dress." Chrom pleaded.

"But… Shulk said he liked it." Lucina responded.

The rest of the Exalted family turned to Shulk in confusion. Shulk, who was now standing several feet behind Lucina, made a bunch of frantic 'no' gestures with his hands, while simultaneously shaking his head. He then pointed to the ugly dress and mimed vomiting. Chrom seemed to understand what he was trying to say and decided to help the poor boy out.

"I see. Be that as it may, you are still technically a princess, Lucina. And as such, you deserve to be married wearing something more regal and elegant." Chrom stated.

"But where would I find another dress so close to the wedding date?" Lucina pondered.

"Well, luckily, I predicted this would happen, so I took the liberty of packing something more suitable. It's similar to the one I wore when I married your father, only tailored to fit you. At least, I hope it fits you, dear." Sumia stated, more than aware of her future daughter's horrible fashion sense.

"Thank you, mother, I'm sure it will be lovely. Wait, what do mean by you predicted this would happen?" Lucina asked.

"Oh, well… Don't worry about it, dear. Let's just see how it looks on you." Sumia responded.

She then went over to a bag of luggage she had stored in her daughter's room and started to open it. But before it was opened completely, Sumia stopped and turned to Shulk.

"Um, Shulk, would you mind giving us some privacy, please? It's not very traditional for the groom to see the bride in her dress before the wedding." Sumia requested.

"Oh, yeah. Of course." Shulk stated as he left the room.

Shulk was now relieved. He would not have to see Lucina wear that horrible dress after all. Hopefully the one Sumia had brought was much more appealing. Well, it couldn't be worse than what Lucina had initially chosen. With the last known flaw removed, Shulk found that now more than ever, he couldn't wait for the next few days to pass and he could finally marry the woman he loved.

As he was leaving the room, a Mii girl by the name of Vanessa entered the room.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for a man named Chrom. Is he in here?" Vanessa asked.

"That's me. What do you need me for?" Chrom asked.

"Master Hand would like to speak with you." Vanessa answered.

* * *

Shulk awoke at the start of another day. As he got up and stretched, he saw a fancy tuxedo that was hung in front of his bed. For a moment, his tired mind wondered why it was there, but a moment later him mind cleared and he remembered.

This was it. Today was the day. Today was finally the day. Today was the day he would finally marry the woman he loved, Lucina.

Shulk looked over at a clock and saw that it was 8:00 AM. Only 4 hours until the big moment. After changing into his wedding attire and eating a quick breakfast, he wandered outside the mansion. He saw several unfamiliar people waling around. Shulk assumed them to be friends of Lucina from her home world. He then saw two familiar faces and ran up to them.

"Melia! Sharla!" Shulk yelled.

The two girls in question turned their heads when they heard their names get called. As soon as they saw Shulk, their faces brightened. They then proceeded to hug their friend. They were both wearing elegant dresses for the occasion.

"Shulk! It's you! How are you? It's been years!" Sharla exclaimed.

"Indeed. It has been far too long, Shulk." Melia said.

"Yes. Yes, it has. Still, I'm glad you're both here, now." Shulk said to his friends.

"We wouldn't miss it! You can't believe how shocked we both were when that letter you sent said you were getting married. Still, we're both glad you invited us, and everyone else, for that matter." Sharla replied.

"Speaking of which, where is everyone else? Fiora, Juju, Vanea?" Shulk asked.

"Oh, they're around here, somewhere. We all left together. Still, I would like to hear about your time here. Is this where you live now? It's quite grand. Outside of the palace at Alcamoth, I've never seen such a large structure." Melia said, gesturing to the Smash Mansion.

"Yeah, this place is pretty great. It's loads bigger on the inside, though. During my first few months here, I had to use a map to find my way around. But I want to know how things are back home. How is Colony 6? And the High Entia?" Shulk responded.

"Everything in Colony 6 is great. I've finally gotten everything under control." Sharla answered.

"My people are doing fine as well. About a year after you came here, things finally managed to calm down enough for me to take my rightful place as Empress of the High Entia." Melia chimed in.

"Well, congratulations, Empress." Shulk said.

"Shulk, please. I might be Empress now, but you and I are still friends. And as such, you can still call me Melia, if you wish." Melia replied.

"If that's what you want." Shulk said.

"So, where is this wedding taking place, anyway?" Sharla asked.

"Out behind the mansion. Past the pool and into the gardens. I hope you guys don't need a map to find you way there." Shulk joked.

"Oh, hardy har, smart guy. Anyway, we best head over there, and I bet you have a few more things to do before this whole thing begins. We'll see you later, Shulk." Sharla said before walking off with Melia.

Shulk watched his friends walk off with a smile on his face before he heard a voice come from behind him.

"Shulk? Did that girl say your name was Shulk?"

The Monado wielder turned and saw a young woman with blonde hair in pigtails approach him.

"Are you Shulk? Are you the one marrying my niece, Lucina?" The woman asked.

"Niece? Wait a minute, I think I've heard of you. You're name's…Lissa, right? Or, what was the other one? Emm…Emmer…" Shulk started.

"You mean Emmeryn? No, you were right the first time. I'm Lissa. But you never answered my question. Are you…?"

"Yes, I am marrying Lucina. I am Shulk."

Lissa then walked around Shulk, looking him up and down, as if inspecting him. She then looked at him once again.

"Well, at least it seems like Lucina has good taste in men." Lissa stated.

"Er, thanks?" Shulk responded.

"Say, where is Lucina, anyway? I wanna say hi to my niece." Lissa asked.

"She should be inside the mansion. Second floor, Room 2505. You might want to ask around for directions." Shulk answered.

"Thanks!" Lissa said cheerfully as she walked away.

* * *

Lissa walked inside the mansion, and after wandering around for some time, getting lost more times than she cared to admit, and finally being led to her destination by a green dinosaur that could only say its name, she found herself outside Lucina's room. She knocked on the door and Sumia answered it.

"Lissa!" She exclaimed.

"Hi there! I'm here to see my niece!" Lissa said happily.

"Of course." Sumia responded.

Sumia then stepped to the side and allowed Lissa to enter the room. The blonde girl then saw her niece getting fitted for her wedding dress. Lissa couldn't help but beam at this.

"Oh, wow! You look great, Lucina!" She yelled.

"Thank you, Lissa. I'm quite glad you came." Lucina replied.

"Of course! I actually ran into that Shulk boy outside. He's quite a looker." Lissa said.

"Indeed. I consider myself quite fortunate to have met him." Lucina said with a smile.

"I've also read those letters you sent to Chrom. It sounds like Shulk is a great hero where he comes from. It almost seems ironic. Two of the greatest heroes of two different worlds getting married! Isn't it cute?" Lissa stated.

"Heh, that almost sounds like something Owain would say. Speaking of which, is he with you? I would like to see him. Where is he?" Lucina asked.

Lissa's face suddenly dropped as a frown came onto her face.

"I don't know. A little over a year after you came here, he just disappeared one day. No warning, no note, no trace of where he is. The same thing happened to Inigo and Severa. Olivia, Cordelia, and I are all worried sick about them." Lissa answered.

Lucina was now just as sad as Lissa. She was not expecting to hear this. While she was somewhat glad that Inigo wouldn't be there, as she feared he would try to take her back and thus ruin the day, that didn't mean she was happy to hear that he had vanished without a trace. Same goes for her cousin and good friend.

"Still, I'm certain he's alive, somewhere. We'll find him, one day. And he wouldn't want this to spoil what's supposed to be a happy day." Lissa stated.

"You're right, Lissa. Today is a day for happiness. Let us continue with the preparations. Would you mind helping me with this dress?" Lucina asked.

"Of course! Tell me what you need me to do." Lissa said.

* * *

A few hours later, everyone from both Shulk and Lucina's worlds, as well as the Smashers, were gathered in the gardens behind the mansion. An altar had been set up in the center of the gardens, with a long carpet leading up to it. Shulk stood at the altar, along with Master Hand, who was performing the ceremony. Shulk himself was very excited at what was about to happen, but also very nervous. Still, he waited anxiously for people to start walking down the aisle.

His wish came true shortly after, as music started playing and he saw the first pair of people start walking. It was his chosen best man and Lucina's chosen maid of honor, Reyn and Cynthia. Their arms were locked together. Halfway across, Cynthia tripped on her dress, but Reyn managed to hold her up and they kept walking.

"Careful, kid." Reyn whispered.

"Sorry." Cynthia replied.

Once they made it to the altar, they split and stood on opposite ends of the altar, with Reyn standing next to Shulk. Then the next pair began walking down the aisle. It was Dunban and Sumia their arms also locked together. Despite being even clumsier than her younger daughter, Sumia made it down the aisle with no incident. Sumia then stood next to Cynthia while Dunban stood next to Reyn. After that, the third pair walked down the aisle. This was Riki and Zelda, Lucina's closest female friend at the mansion. Zelda felt somewhat odd holding this furry creature's paw, but they made it down the aisle without issue.

Then, Shulk finally saw Lucina herself, being walked down the aisle by Chrom. She was wearing a strapless, low cut, white wedding dress with elegant gloves, a large blue ribbon around her waist, and a wide skirt that went just above her ankles along with elegant white heels. She also wore the ornament Shulk had gotten her for her birthday in her hair. Shulk thought she looked absolutely beautiful. She and Chrom walked all the way down the aisle until making it to the altar. Once they made it, Chrom released Lucina and took a seat in the front row while Lucina kept walking until she and Shulk were looking right at each other. Master Hand then began speaking.

"Good day to everyone. I bit welcome to all our visitors here. We are gathered here today to join in marriage this man, Shulk, and this woman, Lucina. Before I begin, is there anyone here who has reason why there two should not be together? If so, speak now, or forever hold your peace."

No one spoke up, so Master Hand continued.

"Very well then. Now then, these two have words they wish to say to each other."

"Lucina, when I met you, I had no idea that one day we would fall in love and make it to this day. But as I said before, the future is ours to decide. Whenever I'm around you, joy and love are all I'm feeling. In fact, I'm really feeling it! May we be together, always." Shulk said as he put a ring on Lucina's finger.

"Shulk, as you know, I had a very hard past, and many times I felt that I would never find happiness again. I am thankful that you have proven me wrong. Ever since we met each other, You have done nothing but give me kindness and love and happiness. I pray that we may have many more years of that." Lucina said as she put a ring on Shulk's finger.

"Now then, Shulk, do you take Lucina to be your wife?" Master Hand asked.

"Yeah, I do." Shulk said.

"Alright, and Lucina, do you take Shulk to be your husband?" Master Hand asked.

"Indeed, I do." Lucina answered.

"Then, I now pronounce this couple to be married! You may kiss the bride." Master Hand proclaimed.

Shulk and Lucina then sealed their marriage with a kiss while the crowd erupted into cheers and claps. Once they broke apart, Shulk looked at his beautiful wife while Lucina looked at her handsome husband. They were both shocked that they had finally done it, and that they could now refer to each other as husband/wife. But at the same time, they were both extraordinarily happy.

* * *

Afterwards, the newly married couple were eating dinner together surrounded by their closest family and friends. As they ate, they made conversation with their loved ones.

"Congrats again, Shulk! I still can't believe you did it. I'm real happy for ya, man." Reyn said to his friend.

"I agree. I just know you two will be very happy together." Fiora chimed in.

"Thanks, guys." Shulk said.

"I hope that you and Shulk are very happy together." Sumia said to her daughter.

"I know she will. She deserves to have this kind of happiness." Chrom added.

"I'm surprised at how you're taking this, Chrom. I thought you'd be all worried and paranoid when Lucina got married." Lissa said with a giggle.

"Lissa, please. I'm better than that. I had already met and accepted Shulk beforehand. And while I was somewhat shocked when she told us she was going to marry, I quickly got over it. I don't believe anything could shock me at this point." Chrom said before taking a bite of his food.

"I have to agree. What could be more surprising than the wedding itself?" Shulk agreed before taking a sip of his drink.

"So, tell me Shulk, are you and Lucina considering kids?" Sharla asked.

At this surprising question, Shulk prematurely swallowed his drink while Chrom swallowed his food half chewed. Lucina blushed in embarrassment at the question. Shulk coughed as he forced his drink down. Chrom had to force the chunk of food down his throat before taking several deep breath.

"Sharla, come on! We only _just_ got married! Don't you think it's kind of early to be thinking about something like that?" Shulk asked.

"Indeed. I just started eating." Chrom muttered.

"Chrom!" Sumia scolded.

"Sumia, come on! I'm not even 30 years old yet. I am too young to be a grandfather." Chrom said.

"Father, please." Lucina said.

"* _sigh_ * You're right, Lucina. I shouldn't be bringing everyone down. I'm sorry." Chrom replied.

"Father?" Melia asked.

She was clearly confused as to how Chrom and Lucina could be father and daughter when they looked roughly the same age. Most of Shulk's guests had the same look of confusion on their faces.

"Long story. I'll tell you later." Shulk said.

All of Shulk's friends seemed to accept the answer and went back to their food.

"And to answer your question Sharla, no. We haven't talked about anything like that, yet. I think we should let a few years pass before we think about something like that." Shulk answered.

"That sounds like a good answer to me." Chrom said to Shulk.

Before anyone could say anything else, a few Miis brought out a large wedding cake. Everyone was awed at the sight of it. Shulk and Lucina then rose from their seats so that they may cut it.

* * *

At the end of the day, Master Hand called an end to the ceremony. While the Miis were busy cleaning up everything, all the Bionis and Ylisse residents were being sent home after one last round of congratulations to the happy bride and groom. Though, Lucina wondered why she hadn't seen her father go home. Shulk and Lucina, still in their wedding outfits, were just walking back toward the mansion after saying their last goodbyes. However, Master Hand suddenly floated in front of them, blocking their path.

"Wait. Before you two head in, I have a couple things to say to you." Master Hand said.

"Oh? Like what?" Shulk asked.

"First off, congratulations, once again. I hope you two are happy together. Second, in light of your union, I have changed the room arrangements. Starting tomorrow, you will both be staying in Room 2504. The vacancy in Room 2505 will be filled with one of the newcomers coming to the mansion tomorrow. Speaking of which, as you both know, we will be getting a large handful of newcomers for the new tournament tomorrow, so I expect both of you to give these newcomers a warm welcome. Lastly, one of our newcomers has arrived early, and I would like for you two to say hello." Master Hand said.

"Really now? Who is it?" Shulk asked.

"It's me."

Shulk and Lucina both turned around and to their shock, mostly Lucina's, the Exalt of Ylisse himself, Chrom, stood before them.

"F-father? Is it true?" Lucina asked.

"It is, Lucina. Master Hand asked me himself the other day if I would like to join. I instantly said yes. It will be an honor to join you as a 'Smasher', as you call yourselves." Chrom explained.

"O-oh my! But, what about Ylisse? Won't the people need their Exalt?" Lucina asked.

"I'm not overly worried. Ylisse is in a time of peace that hasn't been seen since before my father was Exalt. I'm certain Sumia can handle it for a few years. Besides, should something happen, she can easily write me and have me help with the problem." Chrom said nonchalantly.

Lucina then ran up and hugged her father, overjoyed that he would be a Smasher from now on. Shulk was also happy for his new father in law.

"Welcome aboard, man." Shulk said.

"Thank you. Well, I should be gathering my things and moving them into my new room." Chrom said before walking off.

"Well, congrats, Lucina. I know you'll be happy to have your dad here." Shulk said.

"I will. Today has been one of the best days of my life!" Lucina said as she hugged her husband.

The married couple then walked into the mansion themselves and they prepared to start both a new tournament, and a new chapter in their lives.

* * *

 **Oh come on, I had to. I had to have Shulk say the thing at least once. Just once! Never again.**

 **So, I flat out lied last chapter, I did get one more chapter out before the release of Ultimate. I think the reason for this is I actually had pretty much all the details of this chapter planned out well in advance, which is more than I can say for other chapters of this story. There are quite a few chapters that I just made up as I was writing them. Though, I guarantee I won't have the next chapter out before December 7** **th** **. Namely because I have no idea what I want to do in the next chapter. I don't know what I want the next chapter to be about. I was hoping that by the time I made it here, I would have come up with an idea, but I didn't. With that said, if anyone has an idea for what they think the next chapter should be about, tell me in a review. If I can make something from it, I'll use it.**

 **I think the moment I enjoyed most of this chapter was the scene where Lucina shows Shulk her ugly wedding dress. I enjoyed it as I got to play off both of my leads' most humorous character traits. Namely, Lucina's horrible fashion sense, and Shulk's inability to say he hates something his love interest likes out of embarrassment. Speaking of dresses, just imagine that for the actual wedding, Lucina was wearing the bride dress from the DLC of** _ **Fire Emblem: Warriors.**_ **If you don't know what I'm talking about, look it up.**

 **All in all, how did you like this chapter? Good? Bad? Meh? Let me know in a comment. But please, if you didn't like it, please refrain from saying anything too hurtful. Thank you.**

 **Next time on this story: Again, I'm not sure. Suggestions are welcome.**

 **See you next time!**


	19. Training the Newcomers

**Good day to all of you currently reading this. How's it going? Good, I hope.**

 **Welcome to the official start of the 'Ultimate' era of this story. From now on, there will be appearances by all those who have returned to Smash and those that are new to it as well. There may also be the occasional reference to modes present in Ultimate that weren't in Smash 4. Either way, the Ultimate fight has begun.**

 **3 Question Marks: While I am familiar with both, since neither game has characters that show up in Smash, (Spirits don't count) I don't think I can make something from that. But still, thank you for your suggestion.**

 **Althea Sirius: I'm glad I was able to surprise you. And I'm also glad you liked the wedding chapter. Also, thank you for your suggestion. I admit, after I read it, I played around with your idea for a bit and ultimately turned it into this. So congratulations on having your suggestion picked. Also, thank you for your holiday wishes. The holidays were good to me. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas were all tons of fun, not to mention filling. And I hope all your Christmases, or Hanukkahs, or Kwanzas, or whatever you celebrate around that time of year turned out well to all of you reading this.**

 **Guest: You are correct. And now that we're in the Ultimate era, expect more frequent appearances by Chrom in this story.**

 **Blackhawks8: I completely respect your opinion, and sympathize with it as well. While I'm glad you enjoyed the wedding chapter, and while I'm satisfied with how it turned out, I admit I could have taken my time a little more with it. There were several concepts I was going to use for the chapter, but ultimately scrapped. Such concepts include a conversation between Shulk and Dunban/Lucina and Chrom the night before the wedding. (I also contemplated switching Dunban and Chrom's places here) As well as a conversation between Shulk and Fiora/Lucina and Cynthia at the reception. (Though, that last one was mostly going to be played for laughs) But, fear not. I do intend to have a meaningful conversation between Chrom and Shulk play out in one of my future chapters. When I manage to get that far, I hope you enjoy it.**

 **Well then, now that I have that finished, let us begin.**

 ** _Super Smash Bros._** **© Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai**

* * *

* _Shulk and Lucina's bedroom_ *

* _8:00 AM_ *

* * *

Lucina's eyes awoke at the start of a new day. The first thing she saw was the man she called her husband still sleeping beside her. She couldn't help but smile at his sleeping form. It had been a full week since they had been married, and yet the happiness she felt toward him had not diminished at all.

She quietly got out of the king-sized bed Master Hand had provided for the couple. She was shocked the first time she saw it, as she had never shared a bed before, but it only took one night to win her over, as she found the warmth Shulk provided gave her a sense of comfort and security she hadn't felt in a long time. As she was getting ready for the day, she heard Shulk start to stir as he awoke as well.

As soon as Shulk rose, Lucina began to blush and her heart rate picked up. She was very shocked to learn that Shulk slept without a shirt. The only thing he wore to bed at all was a pair of sleeping trunks. As soon as Shulk and Lucina locked eyes, they smiled at each other.

"Well, there's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." Shulk said.

"Oh, thank you! You look dashing as well." Lucina replied.

"Any big plans for today?" Shulk asked.

"I do have a battle against Mega Man and Incineroar with Snake as a teammate at 1:00." Lucina stated.

"My first match today isn't until 4:00. I think I'm going to watch a few other matches until them. I want to see what all the new fighters are like."

"I see. Perhaps I will join you. I am still quite curious as to what abilities our new opponents hold."

* * *

The couple did just that. After breakfast, they made their way to the Spectator Room, where a team match with newcomers Simon Belmont and Ken Masters against veterans Wolf and Corrin on Battlefield, one of the oldest of stages in Smash Bros.. The match was to be a stock match, with everyone having three stocks. As Shulk and Lucina took their seats in the Spectator Room, the announcer counted down to the fight.

 _3_

 _2_

 _1_

 _GO!_

Corrin made the first move, jumping up and hitting Simon with his powerful sword. Wolf immediately followed it up by swiping his claws at the Belmont. Corrin then landed another sword swing on Simon. Ken tried firing his Hadoken at Corrin, but it missed and Corrin just retaliated with another sword swing.

Simon tried swinging his whip upward, but it missed Wolf, who merely jumped out of its way. Corrin then created a lance with his draconic powers and stuck it to the ground. He then swung forward with it and managed to kick Ken in the head. Just then, Simon jumped downward in an attempt to strike Corrin, but the dragon prince saw this coming and sent two dragon fangs upward, knocking both Simon and Ken in the attack.

The four combatants danced around each other for a few seconds until Wolf sent a powerful kick at Simon's face. He immediately followed it up with a kick. Corrin then sent a kick of his own at Simon. Ken was also caught up in this kick. As Ken and Simon were falling back toward the stage, Wolf attempted to fire his blaster at them, but missed.

Ken and Simon quickly got up, but were instantly put down again, thanks to a powerful claw strike from Wolf and another dragon lunge from Corrin. This attack hit Ken and knocked him off the stage, and despite his attempts to recover via Shoryuken, fell down and was KO'd.

Simon attempted to throw his Cross in an attempt to hit Wolf, but the Cross stopped just short of Wolf before returning toward Simon. However, Corrin, who jumped down in an attempt to rush Simon, was caught in the return swing of the Cross. Corrin was slightly knocked back and found himself next to Wolf. The teammates rushed toward Simon in an attempt to KO him, but the Belmont threw an axe at them, knocking them both back.

Wolf responded by rushing forward, grabbing Simon, and throwing him to the ground. He then followed up this attack by running forward and kicking Simon in the face. Ken, who had returned to the stage after his KO, tried to attack Corrin again, but was just met with another Dragon Lance in the chest. Wolf attempted to prevent Simon from returning to the stage, but was caught up in Simon's uppercut attack. Corrin jumped up, hoping to intercept Simon, but Ken jumped up as well, and sent a powerful kick at Corrin's back, knocking the dragon forward. Corrin managed to get back on the stage, only to be immediately hit by Simon's whip. The vampire hunter ran forward and attempted to attack Corrin again, but the latter used his dragon powers to create a large ball of compressed water. He then launched it at Simon, who was hit and nearly thrown from the stage. However, he managed to recover.

Ken sent a Tatsumaki Senpukyaku at Corrin, which almost knocked him off the stage, but he managed to recover. Corrin then sent one of his water balls at Ken in retaliation. The combatants then danced around each other for some time until Wolf sent a kick at Simon. This was followed up by a more powerful kick that launched Ken upward, and KO'd Simon.

Wolf and Corrin went after Ken, but Simon returned to the stage and smacked Corrin with his whip. Corrin was thrown far by the attack, but managed to stay on the stage. Once he returned to the ground, Corrin ran forward and grabbed Ken. Corrin then threw Ken behind him with the help of his Dragon Lance. At the same time, Wolf fired his blaster at Simon, but the blast was deflected by the latter's whip. Wolf then switched gears and went for Ken, and managed to send him flying with his powerful claws. Before Ken could make it back on the stage, Corrin sent another powerful water ball at him, sending him flying into the stage's invisible barrier, KO'ing him.

Corrin then sent another water ball at Simon, knocking him back. Corrin sent another one, but this one was blocked by Simon's cross. Wolf and Corrin then turned focus and began wailing on Ken, who had returned to the stage. This was broken up when Simon hit Corrin with his Cross. But as soon as he recovered, Corrin continued attacking Ken with Wolf. There was little Ken could do to get himself out of his jam. Eventually, Wolf managed to grab Ken and throw him off the stage, and a water ball from Corrin KO'd the fighter, costing him his last stock, leaving only Simon. That is, until Simon gave up one of his two remaining stocks to revive Ken, leaving both of them with only one stock each.

Corrin jumped up and attacked Simon numerous times until he was almost KO'd. Simon fell downward while Corrin returned his attention to Ken. Simon then sent a powerful downward kick at Corrin, who was knocked back a fair distance. Wolf swiped one of his claws at Ken, nearly knocking him off the stage. Simon responded by throwing one of his axes at Wolf, but it missed. Corrin then swung his sword at Simon, nearly knocking him off the stage. Simon attempted to recover, but Wolf jumped after him and slashed the vampire hunter with his sharp claws. This caused Simon to hit the stage's invisible barrier, KO'ing him for the last time.

Corrin sent a Dragon Lance at Ken, who was knocked toward Wolf, who fired his blaster. The blast stunned Ken, allowing Wolf to grab him and throw him off the stage. Ken managed to recover via Shoryuken, but Corrin was waiting for him. He flew upward, attacking Ken with his dragon wings. Corrin repeated the attack, causing Ken to nearly be KO'd. Once everyone was back on the ground, Ken executed a Tatsumaki Senpukyaku, which sent both Wolf and Corrin off the stage, though they both managed to recover. Wolf then swiped his claws, sending Ken across the stage. Corrin ran forward to intercept Ken, and managed to pin him in place with his Dragon Lance. With Ken unable to move, Wolf executed a powerful upward kick, knocking Ken into the invisible barrier, KO'ing him, an ending the match.

 _"_ _GAME!"_ Cried the announcer.

" _Wolf and Corrin win!_ "

Both Shulk and Lucina were surprised by the battle they had just witnessed. Despite the fact that they were both newcomers, the married pair expected Simon and Ken to give a better performance than they did.

"Well, that was somewhat underwhelming." Shulk commented.

"Indeed. I was hoping for something more interesting from the newcomers." Lucina replied.

"Y'know, I wonder if we were like that when we first started here."

"I admit, I struggled at first, but still won some of my earliest battles."

"Yeah, same here. But still, it took some time and training before I got to where I can hold my own against everyone here."

"Perhaps we need only give them time before they start improving." Lucina said.

* * *

With that, Shulk and Lucina walked out of the Spectator Room and went about their business for the rest of the day. The next day, Shulk found himself in the Training Room, hoping to get a little practice in before his next match. However, as soon as he entered, he saw Ken training on a sandbag. The red gi wearing fighter was punching and kicking away when Shulk approached him.

"C'mon! Just a little more strength." Ken said to himself.

"You're trying too hard." Shulk said.

At that statement, Ken, who had not seen Shulk approach him, got overly startled and fell to the ground with a scream.

"GAH! Don't sneak up on me!" Ken said.

"Sorry." Shulk replied.

"And what do you mean by 'trying too hard'?"

"I mean you're not gonna get far in this tournament if all you use is brute strength."

"Please, I've fought countless different people with countless different fighting styles before. And more often than not, I've come out on top." Ken boasted.

"Maybe, but when's the last time you fought a pink ball that can eat you? Or a hedgehog who can run circles around you? Or a person wielding a sword that can see the future? My point is, there are loads of people here with fighting styles and abilities you've probably never seen. And just going in, fists swinging won't help. You'll have to adapt to new techniques if you want to get ahead." Shulk explained.

"But how?" Ken asked.

"I'll show you." Shulk said as he pulled the Monado off his back.

* * *

Later that evening, Lucina was walking around the gardens behind the mansion, taking in the beautiful scenery. However, once she made her way to the center of the garden, she saw something very peculiar. Simon Belmont was out there as well, and it seemed like he was training alone, using a scarecrow as a practice dummy.

"Have at you!" Simon yelled at the scarecrow.

Using his mighty whip, Simon managed to knock the head off the scarecrow. The head landed at Lucina's feet, which is when Simon finally saw her watching him.

"Oh, forgive me. I did not mean to disturb you." Simon said.

"No, it's quite alright. It's just… are you training?" Lucina asked.

"Yes, I was in fact training. After my horrible performance in that last battle, I felt I had no choice but to try and become stronger. I will not bring any more shame upon the Belmont name."

"You are aware there is a room in the mansion specifically for training purposes, yes?"

"I was unaware of this. I will be sure to try it out as soon as I can. Still, I doubt I will get ahead in this tournament if I train only on lifeless dummies."

"Well, if you wish, I can give you some guidance on how this tournament works and how to improve your battle performance."

"That would be grand. When can we begin?" Simon asked.

"Please meet me in the Training Room tomorrow after breakfast. We shall begin then." Lucina said as she walked off toward the mansion.

* * *

"Alright, now that you've shown me some of your fighting moves, let's work on a few defensive techniques. You don't have too much in the way of long-range attacks, do you?" Shulk asked.

"Well, I have my Hadoken, but other than that, I prefer going hand to hand." Ken answered.

"Well, there are loads of others here who would say the same, and they have either more brute force than you or have a weapon to help them. So if you find yourself at a disadvantage, you need to do everything in your power to keep them away from you until you think you can knock 'em out." Shulk said.

"Alright, let's give it a shot!" Ken said enthusiastically.

Shulk then walked about ten feet away from where Ken was before he began speaking again.

"Ok, now I'm gonna run up and attack you, and you're gonna try and keep me at a distance for as long as you can. If I manage to get up close, you're gonna try and knock me back. Got it?" Shulk said.

"Let's do this, man!" Ken screamed.

Shulk then took a running start toward Ken. As soon as he began, Ken charged up a Hadoken and fired it at Shulk, but Shulk easily dodged and kept running at Ken. Once the two were face to face, Ken tried sending a powerful punch at Shulk, but the Monado wielder dodged and jabbed his powerful blade at Ken. The force of the blow was enough to send Ken flying into the wall. Ken eventually peeled off the wall and fell face first to the floor. He slowly got back up, but was clearly dazed by the attack.

"You alright?! Maybe I hit a little too hard. But still, the Monado is a powerful instrument in battle, and like I said, many others wield similar instruments of battle." Shulk said.

"Instruments…. Is mayonnaise an instrument?" Ken said in his dazed state.

"N-no, Ken. Mayonnaise is not an instrument." Shulk said, clearly confused by what he had just heard.

"Horseradish?" Ken asked, still dazed.

"Horseradish is not an instrument either." Shulk replied.

"Sorry. I'm back. That's a damn powerful sword, dude."

"I know. And you'll have to learn how to get around it, as well as everyone else's weapons if you wanna get ahead in this tournament. Now, let's get back to it."

As soon as Ken got back to his feet, he and Shulk immediately resumed their training session.

"Alright, let's try working on your dodging a bit. This time, I will throw a bunch of sword swings and jabs at you, and you're gonna dodge for as long as you can. If you see an opening, take it." Shulk said.

Ken got into a battle stance, indicating he was ready. Shulk then ran toward Ken and swung his sword. Ken dodged numerous times until he saw his opening. He punched Shulk in the ribs before sending him to the ground with a kick.

"Not bad, Ken. Not bad." Shulk complimented as he got to his feet.

"Hey, thanks, man." Ken replied.

Shulk then quickly swung the Monado at Ken's legs, knocking him off his feet and sending him falling to the floor.

"Of course, I won't always be aiming at chest level. Sometimes your opponent will go for low blows. Both figuratively and literally. You'll have to be able to account for all kinds of attacks." Shulk said before helping Ken to his feet.

"Now then, let's keep going, shall we?" Shulk said.

* * *

"Very good, Simon. Your ranged weapons are all quite impressive. But now I believe we should focus on your close-range combat. Tell me, do you have any useful weapons for use when an opponent gets close?" Lucina asked.

"Well, I am familiar with some basic hand to hand combat, but my most effective tool would without a doubt be this." Simon said.

The vampire hunter then held up what looked like a chain whip with a spiked flail on the end.

"A whip?" Lucina asked.

"Yes. Do not let its mere appearance fool you. This whip is known as the Vampire Killer. It has the power to return nearly any monster and demon to Hell where it belongs. It has been passed down throughout my family for generations, as those of the Belmont Clan are the only ones able to wield it. It is, by far, my greatest asset in battle." Simon explained.

"I see. Well, let us see how you fare with it in battle." Lucina said.

Simon responded by cracking his whip at the ground, hoping to knock Lucina off her feet. But the blue haired princess simply jumped up and avoided the attack. Simon then tried swinging his whip directly at her, but she sidestepped. She was now right in front of him. Simon tried swinging his whip at her again, but she countered with her sword and sent Simon to the ground.

"I admit, I am quite amazed at your agility." Simon commented.

"Well, I am no mindless monster to be easily killed by your weapons. I have years combat experience to back me up." Lucina responded.

"Indeed. However, there is one thing I must ask. What is that sword made of? Most normal swords would cave under the power of my whip." Simon asked.

"Well, much like your whip, it is quite special. It is an indestructible blade forged by the goddess Naga and can only be wielded by those descended from Ylissean royalty, such as myself. Even within my family, only certain people are able to wield it." Lucina answered.

"Really? Well that would certainly explain its power. Wait, did you say royalty? You mean to say that you are a princess?"

"I am."

"Well, I cannot say I have had the privilege of sharing the battlefield with royalty before. I look forward to fighting with you, Lady… Forgive me, I don't believe I ever learned your name." Simon said.

"My name is Lucina."

"Very well, Lady Lucina. Shall we resume our training?"

"Yes. Now, I want you to keep me at a distance using only your whip. I wish to see it's use to its full capabilities. It seems to have impressive range. You will have to use that to your advantage, as there are many fighters who prefer fighting up close. Now then, shall we start?"

"Of course. Have at you!"

* * *

Ken threw a punch at Shulk, who dodged, but followed it up with a powerful kick that sent Shulk to the ground. The Monado wielder quickly got up and swung his powerful blade at Ken, who dodged by rolling backwards. Shulk swung several more times, but Ken dodged each one. Ken then jumped toward Shulk, intending to land a kick. However, Shulk responded by jabbing the Monado upward, knocking Ken into the air. He managed to land on his feet, and continued attacking Shulk. A couple of quick punches were thrown, all of which hit Shulk. Shulk responded by thrusting the Monado forward, but Ken sidestepped the attack. He then sent one of his most powerful attacks at Shulk.

"Shoryuken!" Ken yelled.

Shulk was launched upward in a fiery pillar. When he landed, he and Ken ran for each other. Both blondes jumped in the air and threw a powerful attack at the other. The attacks canceled each other out and they both fell to the ground.

"You're doing great, Ken. You've really learned a lot." Shulk complimented.

"Hey, thanks, man." Ken replied.

"Though, while you have learned how to hold your own against me, I'm not the only person you'll fight here. There are loads of opponents here, all of whom fight quite differently from me. For instance, Donkey Kong. He's not overly fast, but he's got loads of brute strength. His punches have KO'd plenty of people in one go. One of his favourite moves is to pound the ground with enough force to knock them off their feet, then rush in and attack. How would you approach an opponent like that?" Shulk asked.

"You mean the giant ape? Well, I'd stay out of range of his arms until I felt confident enough to rush in, then I'd do what I could to knock him off his feet and keep him from getting up." Ken answered.

"Show me. Pretend that sandbag there is your opponent." Shulk said while pointing to a sandbag behind Ken.

Ken approached to sandbag and made ready to attack it.

"Now, pretend that your opponent in winding up to throw a punch that you know will KO you. You want to hit him first before he can end you."

Ken ran for the sandbag and performed a Tatsumaki Senpukyaku. He then repeatedly punched and kicked at the sandbag before it could hit the ground.

"Now, your opponent is hitting the ground, hard. If you get too close, you'll be knocked down and open to attack." Shulk said.

Ken launched a Hadoken at the sandbag, then ran in and performed his Hell Wheel attack on the sandbag.

"You've been knocked into the air and you see your opponent is ready to slap you with both his massive hands when you get in range of them." Shulk said.

Ken jumped into the air, over the sandbag. He then performed a Shoryuken in midair and angled his fall so he was far away from the sandbag.

"So far, so good. Now, let's see how you fare against attacks that describe some of your other opponents." Shulk stated.

* * *

"One thing you must be wary of is fighters who have incredible speed. Their attacks are not very powerful, but they have the potential to land multiple hits on you before you can react." Lucina warned.

"What would be the best strategy for dealing with these fighters, Lady Lucina?" Simon asked.

"Your best chance lies in keeping these fighters at a distance. Many of their stronger attacks can only be dealt at close range. Though, some of them also have long range attacks. Let us practice with that sandbag. I will tell you how your opponent is acting, and you will act accordingly." Lucina stated.

"Very well." Simon replied.

"Now, imagine your opponent is sending a swarm of shots at you. They are not very painful, but they come rather quickly and can add up." Lucina said.

Simon responded by grabbing his whip and twirling it around him.

"My whip is capable of deflecting minor projectiles similar to what you have described." Simon explained.

"I see. Well, what would you do if your opponent was running at you as fast as he could, intent on kicking you when he got close?" Lucina asked.

Simon ran toward the sandbag as fast as he could. When he was close, he quickly sidestepped around the sandbag and flung his whip at it from behind.

"Your opponent is charging up a fiery attack that will return him to the stage after being thrown off." Lucina stated.

Simon quickly threw his axe at the sandbag, hitting it from an angle. He followed this up by quickly jumping over it cracking his whip at it, hitting the sandbag from above.

* * *

"Your opponent is about to bring a massive hammer down on you." Shulk said.

Ken rolled behind the sandbag, waited a second, then ran forward and delivered a Shoryuken.

* * *

"Your opponent is charging at you, intent on ramming into you." Lucina said.

Simon threw a vial of Holy Water at the sandbag, causing it to erupt in flames. He then ran forward and swung his whip in a circle around him, hitting the sandbag numerous times.

* * *

"He's about to shoot a pillar of flame at you." Shulk said.

Ken immediately threw a Hadoken at the sandbag before performing a legsweep, knocking it over. While the sandbag was down, he threw a series of punches at it, constantly knocking it back.

* * *

"She's getting ready to grab you with a powerful tether and throw you." Lucina said.

Simon quickly jumped over the sandbag, hoping to avoid the 'grab'. He then grabbed the sandbag himself, hit it with his knee, then threw it to the ground.

"Excellent. I believe you have learned all you can from me. From here, you must test your might against your opponents." Lucina stated.

"Thank you very much for your assistance, Lady Lucina. I will not forget this kindness." Simon stated.

* * *

"Hey, thanks for everything, man. I'll be sure to remember all this when my next fight comes." Ken said.

"Well, next time I see you have a match, I'll be there to watch and see how you do." Shulk responded.

"Sweet, see you then." Ken said before walking out of the Training Room.

* * *

That night, Shulk made his way into bed next to his wife. The couple smiled at each other as they settled into their bed.

"Good evening, Shulk. Did you have a good day?" Lucina asked.

"I did. I spent nearly all day giving some advice and training to one of the newcomers. " Shulk responded.

"Truly? I have been doing the same thing."

"Really? That's interesting. But knowing you, you'd probably be a great combat teacher."

"Thank you, Shulk. That means a great deal to me."

"I only say it 'cause I mean it."

"I love you, Shulk. May we be together always."

"I love you too, and I always will."

The pair then gave each other a kiss before drifting off to sleep. The next day, after breakfast, they made their way to the Spectator Room, intent on watching a match that was about to occur. It was Simon against Ken. Both Shulk and Lucina were eager to watch as those they trained put their new knowledge to the test. However, neither of them knew that the other combatant was the one that their spouse had trained. The fight was taking place on a stage called the Great Bay. This was going to be a timed battle, with two minutes and thirty seconds on the clock. The announcer then began counting down to the fight.

 _3_

 _2_

 _1_

 _GO!_

Both Simon and Ken ran for each other, intent on landing the first hit. Ultimately, Simon struck first, cracking his whip and sending Ken flying backward and landing on a platform right in front of a giant turtle. He then threw an axe toward his opponent. He missed, forcing him to jump down in front of his opponent. Ken responded with a Hadoken, which knocked Simon into the water. Ken sent sever more Hadokens at Simon, keeping him in the water. Eventually, Simon managed to jump out and knock Ken back by spinning his whip, catching Ken in the attack.

Ken sent a powerful kick at Simon, knocking him back. A few more kicks were then sent Simon's way. Ken then approached Simon and the two danced around each other until they both fell into the water. Simon was the first to get out, though Ken was not too far behind. Simon then remembered what Lucina had once said about his whip.

' _It seems to have impressive range. You will have to use that to your advantage, as there are many fighters who prefer fighting up close._ '

Simon took that advice to heart and used it. He quickly cracked his whip at Ken, knocking him back and into the water, as the turtle from earlier had sunk beneath the waves. Ken quickly returned to land and knocked Simon into the water with another Hadoken.

After that, both fighters jumped up to the top platform of the stage. Simon twirled his whip around him, managing to hit Ken with it. Ken responded by executing a Tatsumaki Senpukyaku that almost sent Simon back into the water. However, he managed to stay on the stage and the fight continued. Simon swung his whip in a circle around his feet, which knocked Ken back. This caused Ken to recall part of his training with Shulk.

' _Sometimes your opponent will go for low blows. Both figuratively and literally. You'll have to be able to account for all kinds of attacks._ '

Because of this, when Ken saw Simon making ready to use his whip again, he was prepared. Once Simon cracked the whip, Ken dodged, then ran up to Simon and delivered a powerful kick, KO'ing Simon.

* * *

"Alright, Ken!" Shulk screamed from inside the Spectator Room.

"What are you saying, Shulk? I would have thought you would show your support for Simon, like me." Lucina asked.

"Why would I do that? I'm rooting for the one I trained. I'm hoping that he comes out on top." Shulk said.

"Wait, are you saying the one you trained was Ken? The one I trained was Simon." Lucina responded.

Shulk and Lucina stared at each other for a few seconds before Shulk started laughing.

"Well, that's rather humourous. What are the odds that the very people we helped trained would be made to fight each other right as we were done with them? Now we'll just have to see which of our training styles wins out in the end." Shulk said.

* * *

Upon returning to the stage, Simon immediately cracked his whip a couple times. He missed the first time, but the second one hit, knocking Ken onto a rock in the middle of the water. Ken quickly jumped back up and punched Simon square in the face. He then grabbed the monster hunter, threw him to the ground, and punched him again. Once Simon got to his feet, he ran for Ken while spinning his whip in a circle next to him. The attack knocked Ken off the platform he and Simon were standing on. He fell on the rock again and Simon jumped after him.

Simon attempted to knock Ken into the water using his whip but failed. Ken then attempted to knock Simon into the water using a couple kicks and a Hadoken and succeeded. Once Simon got back up, the two combatants danced around each other for a few seconds, with both eventually falling into the water. Upon getting out of the water, on a platform next to the giant turtle, which had resurfaced, the battle continued. Ken grabbed Simon and threw him to the ground again, before launching him skyward with a Shoryuken. They began dancing around each other once again until Simon threw a vial of Holy Water at Ken. The vial exploded into a pillar of flame, which immobilized Ken. Simon took the opportunity to strike Ken with his whip yet again, knocking Ken into the water.

Once Ken got up on dry land, Simon attempted to jump after him. However, Ken intercepted with another fiery Shoryuken. Simon then threw his Cross at Ken, then Holy Water, then cracked the whip, putting Ken right back in the drink. Once Simon jumped after him, Ken grabbed him and performed his Hell Wheel attack, which put Simon in the water. Once on a platform, Simon flung his whip at Ken, who was attempting to swim after him. They both jumped in and out of the water as they attempted to attack the other. Simon sent his Cross at Ken numerous times, attempting to stop him from approaching. Eventually he did approach, but Simon simply sidestepped Ken's attack and knocked him on the turtle's shell. Simon then threw another vial of Holy Water, stunning Ken with its flames. Simon then flung his whip at Ken, which resulted in the fighter getting KO'd.

Upon returning to the stage, Ken ran on top of the turtle again, intent on KO'ing Simon one more time before the match ended. However, Simon managed to keep Ken at a distance using his various ranged weapons. With less than five seconds on the clock, Ken attempted to land one more attack, but Simon swung his whip at Ken, knocking him back onto the main platform. By then, the match was called.

 _TIME!_

Since the score was 0 to 0, the match entered…

 _SUDDEN DEATH! GO!_

The two combatants approached each other and attempted to land the decisive blow on the other. Though they both landed minor blows on each other, ultimate victory went to Simon, who twirled his whip in a circle and struck Ken.

" _GAME!_ " The announcer cried.

" _Simon wins!_ "

* * *

In the Spectator Room, Shulk and Lucina looked at each other.

"Well, it looks like you're the better teacher, Lucina." Shulk said.

"Do not sell yourself short, Shulk. Ken still fought admirably, and the match was rather close. I could actually see your influence in the way he fought." Lucina said.

"Thanks, love. Likewise, I could tell Simon learned a lot from you. And I know that both of them will do a lot better in the tournament from now on. Anyway, what's say we go and congratulate those two on a well fought match?" Shulk suggested.

"That sounds like a marvelous idea." Lucina said as she and Shulk walked out of the Spectator Room.

* * *

 **Just like I said back in chapter 7, I ran with this idea as best I could. Is it my absolute best? No, not really. But still, I hope you found it alright. If so, great. If not, fine. Just don't leave unnecessary hate.**

 **Sorry it took over two months to get this out, but I do have my reasons. Among them being:**

 **School work. The new semester started a few weeks ago, so I've been putting a lot of focus on doing my homework and keeping up with what I need to. The last thing I want is to be a college dropout.**

 **My job. Still a dead end job. Still little pay. Still little time off. One of my New Year's resolutions is to apply for a better one and actually get it. Here's hoping I actually keep this resolution.**

 **Family drama. I'll spare you the details, but I will say that something has happened. And I've spent a lot of time worrying over how things would turn out, and… let's just say I don't deal with anxiety very well. At it's worst, it makes it difficult for me to focus on other things, including writing. Fortunately, things have been starting to look up, but it will still be several months before the situation is fully resolved.**

 **Lack of motivation. As I mentioned in a previous chapter, whenever I'm not 100% sure how I want a chapter to turn out, it sometimes makes it difficult for me to move forward with it since I don't know what to do next. And again, going into this chapter, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do at all, so I felt even less motivation.**

 **Fortunately, though, I will no longer suffer from that specific kind of motivation loss. From here on out, I know exactly what I want all my upcoming chapters to be about. No more doubts, no more wondering what I should write about next. I'm confidant in what I have planned for the rest of the story. Speaking of which, according to my calculations, we're at about the 2/3 mark of this story. We're now entering the home stretch. We're nearing the end, people. So look alive!**

 **Also, yes, that was a blatant SpongeBob SquarePants reference I put in during the chapter. That was meant to be my personal tribute to his creator, Stephen Hillenburg, who, as many of you know, passed away a few months ago after a battle with ALS. SpongeBob was one of the first shows I began watching on a regular basis as a kid, and I have a lot of fond memories of watching the sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea. Even to this day, I'll still put it on when I see one of the classic episodes is playing. And I will proudly admit that I signed that petition calling for 'Sweet Victory' to be played at halftime during Super Bowl LIII. It would be a great way to honor Mr. Hillenburg's memory and the legacy he left behind with his yellow square.**

 **Rest in peace, Stephen Hillenburg. August 21, 1961- November 26, 2018.**

 **Next time on this story: Shulk and Lucina will be celebrating a very important date. Or at least, they're going to try to.**

 **I'll get to work on that as soon as I can. Hopefully, it doesn't take as long to get out as this chapter. We'll just have to wait and see. So until next time, everyone!**


	20. The First Anniversary

**Hello to you again, internet! I have returned once again to give to you another chapter of this glorious story.**

 **This time around, our favorite couple is going to celebrate a day every couple dreams of. How will it play out for them? Well, scroll down to find out.**

 **3 Question Marks: I admit, at the present moment, I'm not sure. I have 3 ideas bouncing around in my head right now, but I'm not sure which one I'm going to go with. I do know how the choice will ultimately be made, though. More information on that front will be delivered when I reach the final chapter of this story. But that's all I'm going to say about it for now.**

 **Half-beastdragonsoul2013: There is, but there's not a lot of it. Sad as it is, this isn't an overly popular ship. I'd make some myself if I were half as good an artist as I was a writer. That being said, if any of you reading this are artists, I encourage you to make some art of this ship and share it online. Let's spread the Shulcina love, people!**

 **Meg: I'm afraid not, sorry. I may or may not be saving that concept for later. Only I know for sure. Just know that I have the outline for the rest of this story all planned out.**

 **Laurtoons: Thank you. I'm glad you like this story and my efforts to capture their personalities. I sincerely hope you like where I go next with this story.**

 **Althea Sirius: You're welcome. I'm so glad you liked that chapter. As for who I think the next DLC characters are, at this point, I have no idea who it could be. If someone like Joker can get in, I suppose anyone's fair game at this point. Also, thank you for the luck on my job hunt. And good luck to you on yours.**

 **Well, now that that's out of the way let the reading commence!**

 ** _Super Smash Bros._** **© Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai**

* * *

* _Shulk and Lucina's bedroom_ *

* _8:00 AM_ *

* * *

Sunlight peered through the window of a married couple's bedroom as they both rose from their slumber at the start of a new day. As they both opened their eyes, the couple looked upon each other and smiled.

"Morning, love." Shulk said.

"Good morning, Shulk. How are you today?" Lucina asked.

"I'm good. How about you?"

"I am quite well, especially considering what day it is."

"Oh? Is it a special day?" Shulk said teasingly.

"Come now, Shulk. Don't tell me you've forgotten." Lucina said sternly, having missed his teasing tone.

"Of course not, Lucy. I was only teasing. I know it's been a full year since we got married. And believe me, I have some big plans for today. With that said, I best get ready for the day."

Shulk then threw the covers off his body and moved to get out of bed. However, before he could leave the bed, Lucina stopped him.

"Wait, before you do that, do you think we could… stay in bed a little longer? It is rare that we get to spend time amongst only ourselves, and I was hoping that we could just spend some time alone together. I would like that very much." Lucina asked.

"Well, if that's what you want, who am I to say no?"

With that, Shulk got back into bed and Lucina got close to him. Shulk then put an arm around his wife and held her close. Lucina smiled as she felt comforted in the embrace of the one she loved.

"Y'know, it almost feels strange that it's already been a year since we've been married. Where does the time go?" Shulk asked.

"I do not know. But I do know that this has been one of the happiest years of my life. And I pray that the next year will be just as pleasant." Lucina answered.

"Well, I'll do what I can to make that happen." Shulk promised.

"I have faith that you will."

Shulk and Lucina leaned in for another kiss, but before their lips could meet, a knock came at their door.

"Lucina? Are you still in there?"

The voice belonged to Lucina's father, Chrom.

"Yes, father. I'm here."

"Why are you still in there? You're going to be late for breakfast. Hurry up and get ready." Chrom called from behind the door.

"Yes, father. I'll be out shortly." Lucina replied.

With that, both Shulk and Lucina got out of bed and started getting ready for the day. As they were getting their day clothes on, they both felt somewhat disappointed.

"So much for getting to spend a little time with just ourselves." Shulk said somewhat dejectedly.

"Worry not, Shulk. There is still much time remaining in the day." Lucina reminded.

"Yeah, you're right. And like I said, I have some big plans."

"I look forward to seeing what they are."

Lucina and Shulk smiled at each other for a second until they again heard knocking at their door.

"Lucina! Hurry up!" Chrom again shouted.

"Coming, father." Lucina said.

With that, Shulk and Lucina finished getting dressed before walking out of their room and heading toward the Mess Hall for breakfast.

* * *

Later on in the day, Shulk and Lucina were relaxing in the living room of the Smash Mansion. They were alone, as everyone else was otherwise occupied in some way. However, neither of them really minded, as they were grateful to have time to themselves.

"This is nice. I'm happy to just be here with you, my love." Lucina said.

"Yeah, I'm glad we finally get to spend some time together." Shulk replied.

"If I may ask, you said you had plans for the rest of today. May I ask what you meant?" Lucina asked.

"Oh, well, most of what I wanted to do was saved for tonight, but I suppose I can give you a little something now."

Shulk then pulled a necklace out of his pocket and presented it to Lucina. At it's center was a shining blue sapphire. Around the rest of the necklace rested smaller but still beautiful sapphires. The band itself seemed to be made of small but glittering beads.

"Oh my. It's beautiful! Where did you even get something like this, Shulk?" Lucina asked.

"Same place I got that ornament in your hair and that ring on your finger." Shulk answered.

"I see. I must wonder how many of your Smash Coins you have given to Zelda in exchange for her making all these extravagant things for me."

"Can't say I remember. But I'd give her so many more if it makes you look prettier. N-not that you need any help looking prettier. You look fine as is, I'm just saying…"

"Enough. I believe I know what you are trying to say, and I appreciate the compliment."

With that, Shulk attempted to place the necklace around Lucina's neck, but before he could, one of the doors to the living room burst open and King Dedede came in and took a seat on the nearest couch, which happened to be the one Shulk and Lucina were sitting on. He plopped himself down right between them, separating the married couple.

"Whew, I am beat. You guys ever have to deal with the kind of pain that comes with an 8 man Smash?" Dedede asked.

"Yes. We all have. Anyway, Lucy and I were trying to spend some time together, so if you don't mind…" Shulk started.

"Oh, good. So you know what it feels like to be pounded on by seven people at once. I gotta say, aside from major pain, it also works up an appetite. Say, what you got there, Shulk? Some kinda blueberry candy necklace? Gimme that!" Dedede said before yanking the necklace out of Shulk's hands.

"No!" Shulk yelled.

But it was too late. Dedede dropped the necklace in his mouth. He tried chewing it, but since sapphires aren't easily broken, it only hurt his teeth. The taste wasn't very good, either, so Dedede spit it out. It tumbled across the floor, covered in saliva.

"Yech! That was the hardest, most disgusting blueberry necklace I've ever tasted!" Dedede exclaimed.

"That's because it wasn't blueberry. They're sapphires. I had them made into a necklace as a present for my wife." Shulk said angrily.

As he spoke, Shulk walked over to the necklace and picked it up with two fingers before dropping it in his pocket. He then wiped his fingers on his shirt to rid them of Dedede's saliva.

"That's a stupid gift. Everyone knows if it ain't food, it ain't a good gift. What good is a bunch of colored rocks?" Dedede asked.

"I happen to like fine jewelry. There are a great deal of people who do, actually. Especially when it's given to you by someone you love." Lucina angrily said as she stood and made her way to Shulk's side.

"Whatever. Say, you two wanna watch some good TV? I hear that channel 13 is playing something really good." Dedede offered.

Without waiting for a response, Dedede grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. He turned it to channel 13, which was playing some sort of show about a violent war. Dedede laughed at all the images while turning up the volume as loud as he could.

"We'll pass. C'mon, Lucina. Let's get this necklace cleaned off." Shulk said bitterly as he and Lucina left the living room.

* * *

Later that day, after all their fights were done with, Shulk and Lucina decided to spend some time outside, namely, the hot tub. They were both in their swimsuits, letting the warm water relax them. The sun was just starting to set, letting some of the cooler air to roll in, but it felt good to the married couple. Lucina had her head rested against her husband's shoulder while Shulk had his arm around his wife's waist, holding her close.

"I must admit, even though today up to this point has been rather frustrating, the water does a splendid job of washing the feelings of those unpleasant experiences away." Lucina noted.

"I know, and I finally feel like this is one place we won't be bothered. Who has time for being out near the pool, especially around this time of day?" Shulk pointed out.

"Indeed. It should prove to be a relaxing time for us, at last."

"Yeah, I just hope this works."

"Hope what works?"

"Oh! N-nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Shulk, is there something you are not telling me?"

"N-no. No."

" _Shulk._ "

"* _sigh_ * Fine. After what happened with your dad and Dedede, I may have given Robin a few Smash Coins in exchange for making sure we're left alone."

"You did? Wait, does that mean he's watching us?!"

"No, he promised to give us our privacy. He also said 'As long as you two are out there, no one else will walk through the back doors.'. I just wanted us to have a nice time. If you're upset, I'm sorry."

"Well, I can understand why you did such a thing. And, it is nice that we finally get to spend some time alone. So I will forgive you."

"Thanks, love. Now then, let's enjoy the rest of our time here until tonight."

"Oh? What's happening tonight?"

"I've made some plans. You'll have to wait and see."

"Come now, Shulk. You know that I dislike surprises."

"Don't worry, it'll be worth it, I promise. Anyway, don't worry about that right now. Let's just let the water relax us for a bit, yeah?"

"I do feel as if all my troubles are washing away. It was a great idea, suggesting that we come out here. Thank you, Shulk. For all that you have done for me in the year since we have been married."

"Anything for you, love."

Shulk and Lucina then leaned in to kiss each other. But before their lips could touch, they heard the sound of breaking glass come from above them. They looked toward the source of the sound, and saw glass from a broken window falling to the ground. They also saw a teenager wearing a tail coat and a mask land next to them, obviously having jumped out the window. This was one of the newcomers, who, like some others from the previous tournament, came to the Smash Mansion some time after the tournament had started. No one was quite sure what his real name was, but he referred to himself as 'Joker'.

"Hey guys. How are you? Lookin' good." Joker said to them.

"Joker?! What are you doing here?! What was that?!" Lucina screamed.

"Oh, well, funny story about that…" Joker started.

Before he could continue, more shattering glass was heard, as well as a few breaking bricks. This was caused by an even larger and heavier Smasher than Joker jumping out the window, creating an even larger hole in the wall. Joker had to roll out of the way to avoid being crushed by this new arrival. It was King K. Rool, a crocodile and enemy of Donkey Kong. He hit the ground with a hard thud that shook the earth around him. He then glared angrily at Joker.

"YOU! I'll teach you to break into my room while I'm napping!" K. Rool angrily shouted.

"I'll steal your heart yet, you crazy croc. Man, it feels good to have these powers back." Joker replied with a grin.

"Try saying that after I steal your spinal cord!" K. Rool yelled before running after Joker.

"Uh-oh." Joker said before running off.

"GET BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE BRAT!" K. Rool screamed.

With that, King K. Rool began chasing Joker all around the pool area and even into the gardens, knocking over much of the fauna in the process. All the while, the two of them were repeatedly shouting back and forth at each other.

Knowing that there would be no more relaxing going on here, Shulk got out of the hot tub and put a towel around himself and held one out for Lucina, all the while trying to keep his frustrations from showing. Lucina also got out of the tub and took the towel Shulk offered her.

"Come on, there's no use sticking around here." Shulk said bitterly.

"Shouldn't we try and separate those two?" Lucina asked.

"Not when we're dressed like this. We best tell Master Hand about how Joker and K. Rool are going at it, and the hole in the wall, and the nearly destroyed gardens." Shulk answered.

The pair then walked inside the mansion to change into their normal clothes. Once they stepped inside, they were greeted by Robin, who was sitting on a nearby couch, reading a book from the library.

"You two are done already? I figured you would be enjoying the hot tub a little longer than that." Robin commented.

"Something has… come up, outside, which caused us to cut our time out there short." Lucina responded.

She and Shulk then went to change their clothes and seek out Master Hand. Robin moved to look outside, and he saw what it was that caused the married pair to cut their stay short, as K. Rool was still chasing Joker around the gardens.

* * *

Later on, Shulk and Lucina headed out into Smashville. Shulk managed to secure two seats for the nicest restaurant in town. Now more than ever, they were glad to be leaving the Smash Mansion for a while. They hoped that by leaving the mansion, all the craziness brought on by the other Smashers throughout the day would stay behind with it. Before leaving, they both changed into semi-formal clothes, a nice suit for Shulk and a floor length dress for Lucina. The blue haired princess also wore the necklace Shulk had presented to her earlier in the day, which had luckily been washed clean of Dedede's drool. Once they were ready, the couple walked out of the Smash Mansion and headed toward the city of Smashville. After a bit of a walk, they finally made it to the restaurant. After a Mii waiter came up and took their order, the pair began conversing.

"So, what do you think? This place is nice, yeah?" Shulk asked.

"I must admit, it is quite lovely here." Lucina responded.

"I tried to save my best surprise for last. I try to only give you the best, Lucina. You deserve it."

"You flatter me, Shulk."

"In any case, I'm glad we got out of the mansion for a little bit. Hopefully, everything goes right for once."

"Worry not. I'm certain it will."

"I hope so. I'm sorry today hasn't exactly been the best so far. I was hoping for so much better."

"It's quite alright, Shulk. I appreciate what you have been trying to do."

"Thanks, Lucina. Anyway, I must say, that necklace looks really good on you."

"Oh, thank you. I must say, it suits me well. You always seem to know what looks good on me. Shulk, even after all this time, I fear I am no good at expressing emotions such as this, but I truly wish for you to know how much I truly love and appreciate you. You have shown me true happiness and caring, and that is a debt I cannot even begin to repay. Often times, I find myself wondering why I have blessed with such happiness when it feels like for most of my life, all I have known, all I can ever know, is suffering and pain." Lucina admitted.

"Enough. You know I don't like it when you talk like that." Shulk stated.

"I know. I just want you to know how much you mean to me, and how grateful I am to you."

"I know, and I love you too, Lucina."

Just then, their waiter returned with their food. Shulk and Lucina ate their meal while they continued to converse. They talked about a multitude of thing, including their fondest memories of each other, their hopes for their future with each other, and many other things. By the time they were almost done with their food, they were discussing what to do after this date.

"What do you say, Lucy? Wanna go to see a movie when we're done here?" Shulk asked.

"While I would very much enjoy that, I fear we will not have time. I would rather avoid an incident similar to the one we found ourselves in with our first date." Lucina answered.

"Oh, OK. That makes sense. Well, at the very least, want to get some kind of dessert before we leave?"

"Do you think we should? I'm not sure it's wise to indulge in sweets too much."

"C'mon, Lucy. It's only this once. Plus, this is a special day, we deserve to treat ourselves."

"Well, when you put it like that… Very well. I could go for something satisfying like that."

When their waiter returned, they both placed an order in for some delicious desserts to finish off their meals.

"This has been quite an amazing evening, Shulk. Thank you for treating me." Lucina said.

"Not at all, love. This has been the best part of today, by far. Nothing has gone wrong, for once. And I doubt it will from here on."

But just then, the doors to the restaurant burst open, and in walked another Smasher called Bowser, enemy of Mario. With him was his son, Bowser Jr.. They both promptly stomped over to the nearest available table, which just so happened to be next to the one Shulk and Lucina were sitting at. The blonde swordsman was inwardly starting to panic. He feared another incident was about to happen and ruin his quality time with his wife, just as had already happened three times throughout the day. He tried to push his fears down, though. They were almost done, after all. All they had to do was eat their dessert, pay their bill, then leave. As long as they didn't interact with Bowser, maybe he wouldn't cause them a disturbance.

"Hey, papa, why are we eating here? What's wrong with the Mess Hall food?" Bowser Jr. asked.

"Because I feel like you and I deserve to see some culture every now and then. We are civilized koopas, after all. HEY WAITER! WHAT'S TAKING SO LONG ON THOSE BREADSTICKS I ORDERS 20 SECONDS AGO?!" Bowser screamed.

As he screamed, Bowser pounded his massive fists on his table. This created enough of a shockwave to rattle all the other tables in the restaurant. It quickly became clear to Shulk that the two Smashers next to them would be causing a disturbance no matter what. Shulk was quickly growing agitated.

"Shulk, are you quite alright?" Lucina asked.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine." Shulk stated as he tried to calm himself down.

Just then, Shulk saw the waiter approach with the desserts. He was relieved. It was almost over. That is, until Bowser Jr. stuck his foot out and tripped up the Mii waiter. The contents of his tray flew into the air and spilled all over Shulk's table, as well as Shulk himself, ruining his good suit.

"Oops, didn't see ya there. Walk much?" Bowser Jr. taunted.

Seeing his son's childish display caused Bowser to burst out laughing. In his laughing fit, he pounded his hands on the edge of his table. This caused the table to flip over, and all the food on the table was sent flying into the air. Much like the desserts Bowser Jr. had ruined, this food wound up on Shulk's table and on Shulk himself, creating an even bigger mess.

"Shulk, are you alright?" Lucina asked.

"Let's just go." Shulk deadpanned as he stood and left some Smash Coins on the table to pay for the meal.

* * *

The married couple made their way back to the Smash Mansion. Neither one said a word on the walk back. Upon arriving, Shulk quickly showered to get all the spilled food off of him and got ready for bed. Lucina did the same. But as she got into bed, she repeated a question she had asked Shulk earlier.

"Shulk, are you alright?"

"Lucina, I'm so sorry. All I wanted was to give you a perfect day to celebrate our anniversary. And yet, all my efforts ended in disaster. I just wanted to make today memorable for you. All I wanted was…"

Before Shulk could continue, he was interrupted by a soft giggling coming from Lucina.

"What could possibly be funny?" Shulk asked.

"Nothing, it's just… You were so desperate to make me happy. It's sweet." Lucina answered.

"Really?"

"Yes. I feel fortunate to have been blessed with such a kind and caring husband. While today certainly could have played out better, I still found it memorable and enjoyed every moment I spent with you, disastrous or otherwise. I do not need fancy gifts or nice, romantic gestures to make me happy. All I need is you. You make me happy simply by being with me." Lucina reassured.

"Oh. Well, now I feel much better."

"I am glad. Now come, let us rest. Tomorrow proves to be most exciting."

"That's right, tomorrow's Family Day, isn't it? Can't believe it's been a whole year since this new tournament started. Still, I can't wait to see all my mates again. That reminds me, I meant to ask earlier, now that your dad's here, who are you gonna invite now?"

"Well, father said that he will be inviting mother, as well as his versions of Lucina and Cynthia. However, I will still be inviting my Cynthia, as well as my aunt, Lissa, and my father's personal retainer, Frederick."

"Really now?"

"Yes. After our wedding, Lissa stated she was enthralled by the surroundings of the Smash Mansion and expressed a desire to return. As for Frederick, father insisted I invite him. He said something about Frederick going crazy without someone to take care of, though I'm not sure what he meant by that."

"Well, let's head to sleep so we don't miss their arrival."

"That sounds splendid. Have a good evening, Shulk."

"You too, love. Happy Anniversary."

With that, the loving couple gave each other a kiss before turning out their lights and drifting off to sleep.

* * *

 **Well, that's another chapter done. I'm one step closer to my end goal.**

 **You know, I think this was my shortest chapter to date. Hopefully that doesn't mean it was also not very good. But that's for all of you to decide. Did you like this chapter? Not so much? Maybe it was so-so? Let me know by dropping a review my way. A follow and/or favorite would also be appreciated. However, if your feelings on this chapter are more on the negative side, I ask that you either offer me constructive criticism, or say nothing. Leaving flames and spewing outright hate does no one any good. It only hurts my feelings and makes you look like a jackass.**

 **Anyway, next time on this story: One of the newcomers seems to be stirring up some trouble between our happy couple.**

 **I'll get to work on that ASAP. So until I get that out, I'll be seeing you. Ciao!**


	21. Jealousy

**Wazzup, peoples? You ready for another one of my wonderful chapters? Well, let's get this show on the road, then.**

 **In the last chapter, I covered something every couple loves, so this time, I'm going to cover something every couple fears. You might be able to guess what that is by the title of this chapter. If you can't guess, well, just keep reading.**

 **Althea Sirius: Shulk does not strike me as someone who is able to go with the flow. To me, he seems like someone who likes to plan things out, and when they go horribly wrong, he gets upset. Also, I, too, hope we get another DLC announcement soon. Or at least more information on Joker. That was what disappointed me most about the last Nintendo Direct. I was really hoping for more Smash info. But all we got was a brief look at Joker's in-game model from the back and a vague release date. I was hoping for more.**

 **I'm glad you liked that movie, but I never saw it. I haven't seen any of the** ** _How to Train your Dragon_** **movies. They just don't look overly appealing to me. I could say that about a lot of DreamWorks films (though I do really enjoy some of them). Still, in my honest opinion, the superior animation company is, was, and always will be Disney/Pixar. I was born a Disney nerd, was raised in a family of Disney nerds, and I will die a Disney nerd. Long live the Mouse!**

 **Anyway, now that that part's over, let's get to the actual chapter.**

 ** _Super Smash Bros._** **© Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai.**

* * *

* _Smash Mansion hallways_ *

*6 _:30 PM_ *

* * *

After finishing an exhausting match against Young Link and Ridley, Shulk and Lucina were walking down the endless hallways of the Smash Mansion. As they walked, they made idle conversation.

"Man, that match was brutal." Shulk said.

"It was quite a challenge, I will admit. But we still triumphed." Lucina responded.

"Yeah. It was close, though." Shulk pointed out.

Just then, the married couple passed the Training Room. They heard some punches being thrown and someone grunting. When they looked inside, they saw Princess Daisy practicing hard with a sandbag. Shulk then entered the room and approached her.

"Shulk, what are you doing?" Lucina asked.

"I'm going to give her a hand, just like we did with Ken and Simon over a year ago. You remember that, right?" Shulk replied.

"I do, and I do recall feeling rather good about it once I saw Simon improve."

"Care to help me with Daisy, then?"

"No. I am more interested in seeing how you would give instruction. I will merely observe."

"Alright then, suit yourself." Shulk said as he approached Daisy.

With that, Lucina stood off to the side as Shulk made himself known to Daisy.

"Oh, hey Shulk. How're you doing?" Daisy greeted.

"Not bad. Trying to get some training in?" Shulk asked.

"Yeah. I got my butt kicked earlier today when fighting Isabelle, Pichu, and the Piranha Plant. May as well knock the heck out of some sandbags and hope I can get a little stronger."

"Well, sandbags can't really fight back, can they? C'mon, I'll go a few rounds with you."

With that, Shulk pulled the Monado off his back, activated it, and swung it at Daisy. The orange haired princess quickly jumped back to avoid the attack.

"Whoa! Not one to pull your punches, are you?" Daisy quipped.

"Not really." Shulk answered.

With that, Shulk approached Daisy again and began attacking her again. She retaliated by dodging all his attacks and then swinging a frying pan at him when she saw an opening. Shulk was practically sent flying.

"Well, neither am I." Daisy said.

"Not bad." Shulk said as he got to his feet.

"Thanks."

Shulk then quickly jumped behind Daisy and swung the Monado at her back, sending her to the ground.

"Still, you shouldn't let your guard down. You'll lose more fights that way." Shulk pointed out.

"Alright then, let's go!" Daisy shouted as she got to her feet.

Shulk and Daisy spent the next hour practice sparring against each other in the Training Room, with Shulk occasionally giving fighting tips. All the while, Lucina stood to the side and observed. As she watched, she felt a strange feeling coursing within her, and it wasn't a pleasant one. She wasn't entirely sure what it was, but she knew she didn't entirely like having to watch Shulk train with another woman. She hadn't quite felt like this since she saw her previous boyfriend, Inigo, flirt with someone else while they were still together, thus ending their relationship. Lucina stiffened as she realized what this was.

Jealousy.

As soon as she realized this, she immediately started to push these feelings down.

' _There is nothing to be jealous of._ ' Lucina reasoned. ' _Shulk is merely trying to help out. He does that quite often. That is why I love him. Besides, he has fought all the other females of the mansion countless times, and I've never felt this way back then. Besides, he has told me numerous times how much he truly loves me._ '

Lucina disliked the feeling of jealousy. She has felt it a number of times throughout her life, and it had never done her any good. This time, she just pushed the feelings down and hoped that they stayed there. She continued to reason with herself that there was nothing to worry about.

Daisy sent a powerful kick in Shulk's direction, but he dodged it, though barely. Another swing of the Monado sent Daisy backwards. After regaining her footing, the princess ran toward Shulk and jumped up, intending to send another kick at him. However, Shulk saw this coming and swung the Monado at her in midair. This caused Daisy to lose her balance and fall on top of Shulk, knocking them both to the ground. Lucina quickly ran over to make sure her husband was ok.

"Shulk! Are you alright?!" Lucina cried worriedly.

Both Shulk and Daisy groaned in pain. Ultimately, Daisy was the first to regain her senses. When she looked down, she saw Shulk pinned beneath her.

"Oh my gosh! Shulk, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to fall on top of you! It was an accident, I swear!" Daisy apologized.

"N-no worries. You didn't mean it. But perhaps now it's time we stop training for a while." Shulk said.

"Yeah, maybe you're right." Daisy replied.

"…So, could you perhaps get off of me, please?" Shulk asked after a moment's hesitation.

"Hmm? Oh! My bad!"

Daisy quickly got off Shulk and got to her feet before dusting herself off. Shulk rose to his feet as well and strapped the Monado to his back.

"Well, that was fun, but I think I'm going to head toward the Mess Hall. I'm pretty sure dinner starts soon." Daisy stated before walking out of the Training Room.

"Yeah, I think we should head that way too. I'm starting to get a mite peckish, myself. Shall we go, love?" Shulk asked Lucina.

"Yes, I am quite hungry as well." Lucina answered.

With that, Shulk and Lucina walked out of the Training Room, hand in hand. Though, Shulk did notice that Lucina's grip was tighter than it usually was.

* * *

The next day, at breakfast, Shulk and Lucina sat together and enjoyed their food as they talked about who they would be fighting today.

"So, it seems I've got three matches today. The first one's in an hour and it's against the Ice Climbers. Next is at 3:30 against Falco, Cloud, and the Inkling. Last is at 6:00 against the Pokémon Trainer and Yoshi, with Chrom as a teammate. What about you?" Shulk asked.

"I actually only have one battle today. It is at half an hour and it is against Ganondorf and Bowser." Lucina answered.

"Well, good luck in it."

"Thank you, Shulk. Likewise, I wish you luck in your fights as well. Though I hold the utmost confidence that you and my father will be victorious in your team battle."

"Thanks, love."

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

Shulk and Lucina looked up at who was talking. They saw Princess Daisy standing before them, food tray in hand.

"Oh. Of course not. Have a seat." Shulk offered.

Daisy then took a seat at the table, sitting opposite Shulk and Lucina.

"So, what were you guys talking about?" Daisy asked.

"We were just discussing who we would be fighting today." Shulk answered.

"Oh, I see. I myself only have two fights today. I have to admit, Smash is much different than any of the other sporting-type events I usually take part in." Daisy commented.

"Oh? What other kinds of events do you usually do?" Shulk asked.

"Well, Mario and the others used to invite me to all sorts of fun games. Go karting, tennis, baseball, parties, you name it. I suppose it helped that I was always good friends with Peach and her kingdom was right next to mine. I admit, it was kind of lonely after they all left to come here, all those years ago. But, I'm finally here too, and I'm ready to kick some butt again!"

"I like your attitude. Going back to what you were saying before, about your kingdom, where are you from?"

"If you don't mind me asking, why do you want to know?"

"I'm just curious. I wanna know if it's anything like the Mushroom Kingdom as Mario and the others have described it. I like learning as much as I can about my fellow Smashers."

"Alright, Shulk. I come from the kingdom of Sarasaland. And while it has some similarities to the Mushroom Kingdom, there are some notable differences."

"Interesting. Tell me more."

"Pardon me, Shulk." Lucina interrupted.

"Hmm? What is it, Lucina?" Shulk asked.

"I merely wish to say that I am going to my battle now. Would you care to accompany me?" Lucina offered.

"Oh. Well, you go on ahead. I'll catch up." Shulk stated.

"Very well, I shall see you later." Lucina said as she left.

As she walked away, Lucina heard Shulk and Daisy resume their conversation.

"So, what's your home like, Daisy?" Shulk asked.

"Well, that's quite a lot to tell. I suppose I'll start with…"

Even after leaving earshot of their conversation, Lucina felt her fists clench in anger. She felt her jealousy act up again. She tried pushing it down again, reasoning with herself that Shulk was just being friendly and wanted to learn more. Many of their initial conversations were similar to the one Shulk and Daisy were having now. It was just in Shulk's nature to be curious. That's just who he was.

' _Still…_ ' Lucina told herself. ' _Why would he not want to see me fight? I'm his wife, after all. Aren't married couples supposed to support each other? Why would he not want to see me? He's done it almost every other time before._ '

' _Wait, is that it? Is it he's seen it so many times before that he is beginning to get bored with it? Bored with…with…me? NO! Th-that can't be right! It cannot be! Perhaps I'm just overreacting. Perhaps I will simply talk with Shulk about it later on today._ '

Lucina again tried to repress her negative emotions as she headed toward the Transporter Room to begin her match.

* * *

Later that day, Lucina found Shulk wandering the hallways of the Smash Mansion. She decided now was the time to get answers to the questions she asked herself earlier that day. She approached her husband and began speaking to him.

"Pardon me, Shulk."

"Hmm? Yes, Lucina?" Shulk responded.

"I was wondering if I might speak to you for a moment." Lucina asked.

"Alright. What's up?"

"Well, I merely wished to discuss…"

"Oh! There you are!" A voice called.

The married couple turned their heads and saw Daisy approaching them. Lucina started growing angry again as the source of all her recent frustrations approached her and her husband.

"'ello, Daisy. What's up?" Shulk asked.

"I was just wondering if you could give me a hand with something." Daisy responded.

"Sure. What is it you need?"

"I need some help rearranging the furniture inside my bedroom. My roommate, Isabelle, has been wanting me to move it around for a while now."

"Alright, I don't mind lending a hand. Sorry, Lucina. Can our little talk wait a few minutes?" Shulk inquired.

"W-well I… I need to… N-no. Go on ahead." Lucina stammered sadly.

"Thanks. I'll be right back. Let's go, Daisy."

"Good. I didn't want to put this off any longer. If I don't do this now, I'm pretty sure Isabelle will go Isaballistic." Daisy commented.

Shulk laughed at the pun. This laughter only served to sadden and anger Lucina even further.

' _Is this… the end? Does Shulk truly like her more than me? Does he consider her better than me? Nicer? Funnier? I know I've always been very poor at humor, but that never seemed to bother Shulk in the past. But have things changed? Does he want a girl with a better sense of humor, or one who is kinder?_ '

' _What exactly is it about Daisy that Shulk finds appealing? Why is he turning to her instead of me, his wife? Why is Daisy suddenly spending more time with Shulk? Does she find him appealing, somehow. While that would not surprise me, as he truly is a fine man, does she not know that we are married? That he is mine? Or… does she know, and is simply trying to take him from me?! How dare she! I will not let the man I love be taken from me! I must make Shulk remember why he chose to be with me!_ ' Lucina thought to herself in anger.

* * *

That night, Lucina did not sleep well. She spent much of the night trying to think of a way to get Shulk to not spend time with Daisy and be with her. Because of this, she woke up rather late. Late enough that when she awoke, Shulk was not in bed with her. Once she got up and got dressed, she immediately went in search of Shulk. When she found him, he was speaking with Daisy, which, of course, caused Lucina's anger to flare up immensely.

"Shulk, may I please speak to you for a moment?" Lucina said in one last attempt to settle this by just talking it out.

"Sorry, Lucina. But I promised Daisy that I would help her finish moving things around her room today. I promise we'll talk later." Shulk said before walking off.

This was Lucina's breaking point. She had snapped. Later that day, she found Daisy alone, and went to tell the orange haired princess off.

"Daisy!" Lucina yelled.

"Oh, hello, Lucina." Daisy responded innocently.

"What do you think you're up to?!"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Don't act all innocent! I know what you have been doing!"

"I'm not sure I follow."

"Do not play dumb with me! I know you have been putting moves on Shulk! And I am sick of it!"

"Wait, what? You think I'm trying to get with him? Really?"

"Yes! And I will have you know he is married! To me! So you will stop your advances, you husband stealing harpy!"

"What did you call me?! And why would I try to be with Shulk? He's not my type."

"What?! You say he is anything less than perfect?! Though, I'm not sure why I'm surprised. I can see why anyone would be attracted to such a gallant, wonderful man."

"Lucina, are you deaf? Did you not hear me? I'm not with him! And I don't want to be! You're crazy!"

"So now I'm a lunatic?! Is that it?! Why, I ought to…!"

"What's going on here?"

Lucina and Daisy turned their heads and saw none other than Shulk standing before them.

"Shulk, I think there are some issues you need to work out with your wife." Daisy stated.

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Shulk inquired.

"She seems to be under the impression that you and I are… together."

"'Together'? What do you…? Oh. _Oh._ Lucina, why would you think such a thing? Honestly, I'm kind of hurt to hear this." Shulk said.

"Well, how do you think I feel? You have been spending much of your time over the past few days with her, as opposed to me." Lucina countered.

"We're just good friends, nothing more. This whole tournament is about getting to know people from other worlds."

"Yes, well, what about that time you declined to watch my fight to talk with her the other day? Or the times I asked to speak with you, and yet you refused? All of which were because of her?"

"Well I…I…"

Shulk realized he wasn't really able to defend himself here. He had no excuse for not talking with his own wife when she asked to. And yet, he had blown her off numerous times.

"I…I have no answer to that. I guess I didn't really think of it. Great, now I feel like an arse." Shulk sighed.

"I'll leave you two alone." Daisy said before walking off.

"While I'm still kind of upset that you think I would do something like go behind you like that, I must admit, I was wrong to ignore you. What was I thinking?" Shulk muttered to Lucina.

"I'm not quite certain. Though, I admit that perhaps I was wrong as well to immediately assume the worst from you." Lucina responded.

"Yeah. Listen, love, if I ever make you feel that way, you need to just talk to me about it. If for some reason I won't listen, just make me. But please, don't doubt that I love you."

"Well, now I feel terrible as well, for what I said to Daisy and for needlessly holding jealousy against her."

"Why don't you go and apologize to her, and maybe we can talk a little more about this tonight. Sound good?"

"Yes. That sounds quite reasonable, Shulk." Lucina said before walking off.

* * *

That night, after Lucina talked with Daisy, and apologized to her, the married couple returned to their bedroom for the evening. Both were feeling somewhat guilty over all the actions that had transpired. Shulk over his supposed ignoring of his wife, and Lucina over her overreacting jealousy. As both got into bed, they began speaking simultaneously.

"Lucina, I…"

"Shulk, listen…"

They both paused for a moment before Lucina spoke up again.

"Shulk, I wish to apologize for my actions throughout the last few days. I am utterly disgraced to have allowed my jealousy to get the best of me."

"Still, I feel like I should be saying sorry, too. I didn't realize how I was making you feel."

"It is fine. Perhaps we were both at fault. But I am willing to forget this issue if you are."

"Of course. But still, I feel like I should do something to let you know that I still love you, and always will."

With that, Shulk got closer to his wife to give her a kiss on her cheek. But before he could…

"What might that be, Shu-?!" Lucina started.

At the last second, Lucina turned her head and Shulk's kiss landed on her lips instead of her cheek, silencing her mid-sentence. Both Shulk and Lucina were surprised by this, but not displeased. In fact, they enjoyed it. They enjoyed it so much that they continued to kiss each other for several minutes. About a minute into their kissing, they both opened their mouths a little wider, allowing their tongues to explore the other's mouth. In between all their making out, they both let their hands roam all over each other. Eventually, Shulk rolled on top of Lucina, pinning her down. By this point, they had both long lost their common sense and were being driven by instinct.

They continued making out for several minutes until they split for air. After catching their breath, Shulk leaned down and planted a kiss on Lucina's cheek. He then did it again. Then again, only a little lower. Shulk was leaving a trail of smooches on his wife's cheek, down her jawline, then across her neck. Lucina's breath began to hitch as Shulk continued kissing downward. Her skin almost felt like it was burning in the spots where Shulk's lips touched it.

Shulk continued kissing downward until he reached the hem of her nightgown. After a moment's hesitation, Shulk grabbed one of the straps of the nightgown and pulled it up and off of Lucina's shoulder. The blue haired princess did not protest, so Shulk continued. He then grabbed the other strap of the nightgown and pulled it off his wife's shoulder. Lucina still did not object, so Shulk kept going. He then grabbed the nightgown itself and slowly pulled the whole thing up and over Lucina's head before casting the garment aside. Once it was off, he…

* * *

Doug the Mii hated being on night duty. He absolutely despised having to patrol the hallways of the Smash Mansion throughout all hours of the night, making sure all the Smashers were obeying curfew and not sneaking out late at night. Sure, it meant he got the next day off, but he would still rather be sleeping right now. Still, he did as he had been ordered to by Master Hand and walked through the maze like hallways of the Smash Mansion.

Upon turning onto another hallway, things started out normal. Hardly anything could be heard and everything was dark aside from the flashlight the Mii had been given for night duty. However, after passing one of the rooms, Doug swore he heard something unusual. He stopped and turned to the door nearest to him, which had the tag 'Room 2504' on it. When he heard the strange noise again, Doug got closer to the door. He pressed his ear to the door to try and make out what the noise was.

What he heard was a multitude of different noises. Doug first heard what sounded like a bed repeatedly creaking, as if someone was jumping on it. He also heard several feminine moans and groans, and even the occasional cry of 'Oh, gods. Oh, gods!'. Doug also heard what sounded like some masculine groans and grunts. He wasn't sure what was going on in there, but whatever was, it was clear to Doug that the room's occupants were not asleep as they should be. He considered knocking on their door, telling them to go to bed, lest they be reported to Master Hand, but he decided against it. They may still be awake, but they weren't technically breaking curfew by being outside their room. If they were tired in the morning, it was their own fault, not his, Doug reasoned. With that, he walked away from the door and continued his night patrol.

* * *

 **Oh my. That was probably the most risqué thing I've ever written on this site. However, I feel confident saying this is likely the closest to M-Rated content I'll ever get on this site.**

 **So, this was, once again, a chapter I feel wasn't very strong. I feel that way because the majority of this chapter I made up as I went, as opposed to knowing what I wanted to do beforehand. I tend to struggle when it comes to writing those kinds of chapters, since I don't have the same confidence I do when it comes to chapters where I know what I want to do beforehand. Worry not, though. I have a great deal more confidence in my next chapter. I have nearly every detail planned out down to the punctuation marks. Still, what were your thoughts on this chapter? I'd very much like to know. Drop a review my way if you get a chance. I also wouldn't mind a follow or a favorite. However, I once again ask that you not say anything overly negative. If you did not like the chapter, you are free to say so, but please do so in a way that is not demeaning to me or my writing. Overly hateful comments will be disposed of.**

 **In the next chapter of this story: The Smash Mansion will be gaining a new resident. And it's not going to be a fighter.**

 **This is one I'm very excited to get out to you guys. I'll get started on it immediately. It should be out fairly soon, so until then, so long, farewell, to you, my friends.**

 **If you're still reading this, then I want to give you something for making it all the way to the bottom. I'm going to do something that perhaps I should have done a while ago, when I first picked up a copy of Ultimate. For those of you who have a Nintendo Switch, I'm going to give you my friend code: SW-6489-5574-9867. Shoot me a friend request when you get a chance.**


	22. Nine Months

**Good day to everyone. How are all of you? Good, I hope. Who's ready for another chapter?**

 **This is one I've been planning out since nearly the beginning. And I'm so glad to finally have it out for all of you. I hope you enjoy it. I think you will. I'll not waste too much of your time by prattling on here, so let us get started.**

 **Althea Sirius: I very much agree with you that perhaps Lucina should expand her friends list a bit. While I do want to keep the focus on her and Shulk, maybe It couldn't hurt to put in a bit more character interaction. I'll try to keep that in mind for future chapters. I actually almost put in a line from Shulk where he tells Lucina that she could, and should, interact with others if she feels like it, but I cut it at the last minute. Not sure why, in hindsight. But with that said, part of my inspiration for writing that chapter was because Lucina has been known to get jealous in certain situations, and I felt like that could be a fairly interesting concept to look at. As an example, I encourage you to look at the support conversation between Lucina and Female Robin, provided F!Robin is not Lucina's mother. I actually pulled a couple lines straight from that conversation.**

 **Maybe one day I'll give the movies a chance. I think part of the reason I never looked at them was because they were a bit past my time. I was only a child when the first** ** _Shrek_** **came out, and I remember watching it a lot on VHS around that time. That's my personal favorite out of DreamWorks. By the time** ** _HTTYD_** **came along, I was starting to outgrow kids movies like that. But again, maybe one of these days, I'll take a look. Only time will tell.**

 **Enjoy, everybody!**

 ** _Super Smash Bros._** **© Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai**

* * *

* _Shulk and Lucina's bedroom_ *

* _4:39 AM_ *

* * *

* _Month one_ *

* * *

 _BLEEEGHH!_

Shulk was awoken in the middle of the night to a strange sound coming from somewhere not far from him. As he slowly opened his tired eyes, he wondered what could be making such a noise. He listened around for a few seconds, wondering if he would hear the sound again. A few seconds of silence passed, so Shulk closed his eyes and began drifting back to sleep.

 _BLEEEGUH!_

Shulk's eyes opened once again as he heard the weird noise again. With a groan, he sat up to try and find whatever it was that was making that noise. The first thing he noticed however, was a lack of warmth from next to him, like there usually was. Lucina was not in bed with him.

 _BLLLEEEEGUHH! *cough cough*_

Shulk turned his head toward the source of the noise. It was coming from the bathroom that was connected to the large bedroom. The bathroom door was slightly creaked open, and there was light coming from the creak, telling Shulk that someone was in there. He slowly got out of bed and approached the bathroom. He slowly pushed the door open, and sure enough, his wife was in there. Lucina was currently hunched over the toilet, vomiting into it. After the last of the vomit left her mouth, she groaned in obvious discomfort for a few seconds before quickly puking into the toilet bowl once again. Shulk slowly approached her and gently grabbed her hair and started pulling back on it to prevent any vomit from getting stuck in it. This made Lucina turn around and see Shulk standing over her.

"S-Shulk?" She said weakly.

"Lucina? Are you alright?" Shulk asked.

"Oh, gods. Did I wake you?" She responded.

"Yeah."

"Oh, gods. I'm so sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Again, are you ok?"

"Worry not, Shulk. I believe I will be fi… oh, gods!"

Lucina promptly emptied her stomach's contents into the toilet once again. Once she was done, she began moaning again in pain.

"Are you sure?" Shulk asked.

"Fear not, Shulk. I don't believe this is a serious issue. Most likely nothing more than a minor stomach virus. Perhaps I simply ate something bad during dinner last night." Lucina explained.

"Maybe. But, wait, that doesn't make sense. You and I had the same thing for dinner last night, and I feel fine."

Lucina attempted to respond, but before she could get one word out, she quickly turned back toward the toiled and barfed into it yet again. Once she was done, she slowly reached for the handle and flushed all the vomit down. With Shulk's assistance, she slowly got to her feet and began walking toward the sink. She turned the faucet on and cupped her hands under the water stream. She then drank the water that was in her hands to wash the acid taste of vomit out of her mouth. Once she swallowed the water, she turned off the sink and turned to face Shulk.

"There. I believe my vomiting spell has come to an end." She declared.

"I sure hope so. Anyway, let's head back to bed. You should get all the rest you should." Shulk said.

With her husband's arm around her shoulder, Lucina slowly walked toward the bed and slowly got into it with Shulk and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Lucina was still somewhat tired over what had transpired, but she tried to go about her day anyway. However, as she was getting dressed, she noticed something rather strange. As she was applying her chest bindings, she noticed that they wouldn't quite fit the way they usually did. It was almost as if her chest had grown. Eventually, she got her bindings to the way they usually were, but it felt much tighter than usual and left her breathing somewhat constricted.

After getting dressed, Shulk and Lucina headed down to the Mess Hall for breakfast. As Lucina stood in line to get her food, a strange feeling overcame her. For some reason, she didn't feel like eating any of the foods she normally ate. For some reason, right now, she really wanted a stack of pancakes. And she wanted them to be covered with melted cheese. She didn't know why she wanted this, but she felt like she was going to go insane unless she got that particular combination of food. With this in mind, she left the line she was currently in and went to another line, one that served pancakes. After that, she found some hot melted cheese on the condiments table and drowned her pancakes in it. She then sat down next to Shulk. The Monado wielder looked between his wife and her food in confusion.

"What exactly is that?" Shulk asked.

"It is a stack of pancakes with melted cheese. I know it is rather strange, but I feel an immense desire to have this combination. I must! I cannot help myself." Lucina explained.

With that, Lucina began eating her food, very quickly. Within five minutes, the entire large stack was gone, as was most of the cheese left on the plate. Once it was gone, Lucina declared that she needed more. Shulk attempted to stop her by grabbing her wrist.

"Lucy, I think that's enough for right now, don't you think? You don't want to overdo it." Shulk said.

What followed next was Lucina grabbing Shulk by the shirt and yelling at him with an extremely furious look on her face.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?! DID YOU JUST SAY I WAS OVERWEIGHT?! IS THAT ALL I AM TO YOU?! A FAT LITTLE ANNOYANCE!? NO! YOU'RE THE ANNOYANCE, SHULK! YOU WILL NOT STOP ME FROM MY DESIRED FOOD, YOU PUNY, OBNOXIOUS LITTLE MAN! I'LL TEACH YOU TO GET IN MY WAY!" Lucina snapped.

"L-Lucina! W-what's gotten into you?!" Shulk stammered.

Lucina's face instantly lightened as she released Shulk. In the next moment, her eyes began to water immensely as if she were about to cry her eyes out. And that's just what she did. She threw her face into Shulk's shirt and began crying like there was no tomorrow.

"Oh, gods. What have I just done? Shulk, I-I'm so sorry I yelled at you. What have I done?! I'm a terrible wife! I don't deserve you! Please forgive me!" Lucina said as she sobbed into Shulk's shirt.

Lucina continued crying as Shulk attempted to comfort her. Though, he was still very confused as to what was going on. One minute, his wife is eating the weirdest combination of food, the next, she's yelling at him like she hates him, then she's bawling like a baby into his clothes. After a good minute, Lucina started to calm down.

"Are you ok? What was that?" Shulk asked.

"I don't know what came over me. That was utterly embarrassing. Worry not, though. I believe it has pas- oh no, not again!" Lucina said.

She then quickly ran over to the nearest trash can and began vomiting into it just as violently as she had the night before. Once she was done, she left the Mess Hall as quickly as she could, with Shulk following close behind. As soon as they were gone, all the other Smashers began gossiping about the strange event that they had just witnessed.

* * *

Later that day, Lucina made her way to the Transporter Room for a fight against Pikachu on a stage called Saffron City. Shulk followed behind and made his way to the Spectator Room. He was still somewhat worried over his wife's health, and wanted to be close in case something went wrong.

As soon as both combatants made it to the stage, the announcer began counting down to the fight.

 _3_

 _2_

 _1_

 _GO!_

Still somewhat weak over the previous night's events, and the events that transpired during breakfast, Lucina did not charge into battle with the vigor she usually did. Because of that, Pikachu landed the first hit, sending an electric ball toward his opponent and shocking her. He then jumped down and attempted to zap her again, but she managed to dodge. In response, he sent another electric ball at her, with managed to hit, but it only stunned her.

Pikachu then attempted to shock Lucina again, but she managed to counter and send the Pokémon flying back a short ways. She attempted to go after him, but was intercepted. Pikachu managed to headbutt her in the chest and then proceeded to shock her several times before she could land a decent hit. Ultimately, Lucina hit the ground and did not get up for several seconds. This left Pikachu somewhat confused. He had never seen Lucina fight like this, like she was in a weakened state. However, Lucina finally managed to get up and continue the fight.

She attempted to swing her sword at him, but Pikachu managed to evade it by jumping over her and zapping her from above. While she was stunned, he kicked her into a wall. She bounced off the wall and Pikachu kicked her upward. While she was in the air, he quickly brought Lucina down to the ground with a thunderbolt. Once she was in front of him, Pikachu landed an attack on her back, sending her clear across the stage. She managed to recover, but barely.

After that, the two combatants moved around each other for some time, with both landing minor hits on the other. The next big hit came when they both landed on a small platform near the left edge of the stage. Pikachu knocked Lucina upward, but when she landed, she swung her sword at him, managing to knock him back a ways. She then pointed her sword for a downward strike and managed to hit her opponent. After that, she grabbed Pikachu, kneed him twice, then threw him across the stage. But just then, Lucina felt herself suddenly weaken. She also felt like her stomach was going to explode.

' _Oh gods, not again._ ' She thought to herself.

She attempted to push it down and focus on the fight. Pikachu sent a few more electric balls her way, then jumped over her and delivered a powerful blow from above. This was what finally caused Lucina to drop to the ground, drop her sword, and begin another vomiting fit. Pikachu quickly backed away to avoid getting any vomit on his fur. Once he was a safe distance away, he looked at Lucina in pity.

* * *

Back in the Spectator Room, Shulk was very alarmed. This was the third time in the span of a day that his wife had begun throwing up almost non-stop. He was practically relieved when Pikachu 'spoke' and decided to forfeit for Lucina's sake. As they were brought back to the Transporter Room, Shulk walked in there as well to get to his wife. As soon at they returned, Shulk helped Lucina to her feet.

"Shulk, I…" Lucina started.

"Enough. We're going to see Dr. Mario. I've had enough of seeing you like this. We need to see what's wrong." Shulk said.

Lucina decided not to say anything as they made their way to the Medical Wing of the mansion. Once they reached the Medical Wing, Dr. Mario was there to greet them.

"Hello. What seems-a to be-a the problem?" Dr. Mario asked.

"It's Lucina. I'm worried something's wrong with her. She had to be pulled out of a fight just now because she broke into a nasty vomiting fit. She also had them late last night and earlier today at breakfast." Shulk explained.

"Is-a this true, Lucina?" The doctor asked.

Lucina merely nodded.

"I-a see. How long has-a this been going on?" Dr. Mario asked.

"…For about the better part of a week. Though, mostly at night." Lucina answered after a moment's hesitation.

"What?! A week?! Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Shulk yelled.

"I did not wish to worry you. I dislike when you fret over me." Said Lucina.

"Well, now I'm more worried than ever! Any idea what's wrong?" Shulk asked Dr. Mario.

"Let's-a see, have-a you eaten anything you might-a be allergic to in-a the past week?" Dr. Mario inquired.

"No. My diet has been kept mostly normal in recent weeks." Lucina commented.

"Except for what you ate for breakfast. Who eats pancakes covered with hot cheese, anyway?" Shulk mused.

"I told you, I had a very strange craving for that, and I felt like I would not be satisfied until I had it. I don't know what came over me." Lucina defended herself.

"I hope that also explains why you unexpectedly snapped at me then started crying at me." Shulk retorted.

"Strange-a cravings and-a mood swings? I wonder…" Dr. Mario started.

"Hmm? Do you know what's wrong with my wife?" Shulk asked.

"I-a do have a theory. But-a just to make-a sure, Lucina, I need-a you to come-a with-a me to run a few tests. Shulk, please-a wait out here for a few minutes." Dr. Mario ordered.

Shulk nodded and took a seat near the entrance to the Medical Wing as Dr. Mario and Lucina stepped into one of the side rooms. After a half hour, they exited and approached Shulk.

"Okie dokie, I should-a have-a the results back-a by tomorrow. Until-a then, I recommend-a you not go to any of-a your matches, Lucina. If-a my suspicion is-a true, you're-a gonna want to take it easy for a while. I will-a send for you when I have-a the results." The doctor said.

Shulk and Lucina nodded in understanding as they left the Medical Wing. Neither would admit it, but they were both very worried about what they would hear when they came back.

* * *

The next day, a tenseness hovered over both of them as they anxiously waited to be summoned by Dr. Mario.

"You alright, love?" Shulk asked, even though he was just as nervous as she was.

"I'm not certain. I feel a sense of dread over what I will hear when Dr. Mario calls us back. What if it's something horrible? What if I'm somehow dying?" Lucina fretted.

"I doubt it's something that bad, love. But no matter what, know that I'll always be with you, Lucina." Shulk said as he held his wife close.

Lucina quickly returned Shulk's embrace and both closed their eyes in their protective hold. Because of this, they did not notice when a Mii by the name of Grant approached them.

"Excuse me?" Grant said to the couple.

"Yes, what is it?" Shulk said as he released the hold he had on his wife, but still held her hand.

"Dr. Mario would like to see the two of you." Grant said.

Both Shulk and Lucina felt their hearts drop as the moment they both dreaded had arrived. Nevertheless, they were ready to just get it over and done with.

"Alright. Let's go." Shulk said.

Once they made it to the Medical Wing, Dr. Mario called them into his office. Once they were seated, the Italian doctor began speaking.

"Hello, you two. I have-a the results of-a the tests I ran on Lucina yesterday."

"Well, let's not put this off any longer. Give it to us straight, what's happened?" Shulk asked.

"Very well. I have-a to admit. I never expected something like-a this to happen at-a the Smash Mansion." Dr. Mario stated.

"Please do not make me wait any longer, Dr. Mario. Please, just tell me what has happened." Lucina demanded.

"Alright. According to-a my tests, Lucina, you are-a pregnant."

At that last word, time seemed to stop for Shulk and Lucina. They both tried to process what they just heard, but were somehow unable to. Of all the possible things they thought Dr. Mario might say to them, this was the absolute last thing they expected to hear. All kinds of different emotions bounced around inside both of them. Shock, fear, happiness, confusion, and panic, to name a few. As they both slowly returned to their senses, Lucina spoke first.

"W-what?" She said quietly.

"Yes, you heard-a right. You are-a pregnant. According to-a my tests, you are about-a three weeks in." Dr. Mario repeated.

Lucina's breathing began to pick up as the reality of the situation began to hit her. Pregnant. She was pregnant. She was going to be a mother. She wasn't ready to be a mother! Would she even make a good mother? Would She and Shulk make good parents? Would they even have time to be parents when they were competing in the tournament?

"T-this is… quite something." Lucina managed to choke out.

"Yeah. I mean, it's wonderful, but it's also kinda shocking. I don't think I was ready to hear that." Shulk agreed.

"I'm not ready at all! I mean, me, a mother?! I don't think I'm good mother material! Will I truly be able to care for a child?! Will I…?!" Lucina snapped.

"Hey! Take it easy, Lucy. It's alright. You'll be alright. I told you before, I'll be there for you no matter what. And personally, I think you'll be a great mum." Shulk comforted.

"B-but will I be? Truly? I haven't very many inspirations to draw from. I don't know how to be a parent."

"Neither do I. No one said it would be easy. But I know we can do it. I promise, we can make this work."

Shulk's encouraging words left little doubt in Lucina's mind that he would make a great father. And if he had this much faith in her, maybe she would make a decent mother after all. Suddenly, her resolve strengthened. She now had a desire to give this child all the love and affection she could. To make sure her child had a much better childhood than she did. To be there for her child the same way her parents were there for her once she traveled back in time.

"Yes. You are right, Shulk. I believe we can do this. I am willing to try. We shall be the best parents we can be." Lucina said as she put a hand on her still flat stomach.

"There we go, love. I knew you could do it. And I know we can be great parents." Shulk said as he put his hand on top of Lucina's.

"Let us go. We have much to prepare for in the next few months."

With that, Shulk and Lucina left the room to begin the difficult journey on the way to parenthood.

* * *

The next day, the expecting parents found themselves outside Master Hand's personal study, having been summoned there by the floating hand to speak. Both of them were certain what Master Hand wanted to speak to them about. Still, they wondered why Master Hand asked to speak to them personally instead of seeking them out the way he normally did if he wanted to talk to one of the Smashers. The only time Master Hand ever summoned Smashers to his study was when he needed to have a serious discussion with them, or if they were in major trouble. As far as they were aware, neither of them had broken any of the major rules, so what was going on? These kinds of thoughts went through both their heads as Shulk opened the door to the study.

"Master Hand? Are you in?" Shulk asked.

"Ah, there you two are. Please, come in. Have a seat." Master Hand said.

Shulk and Lucina did just that. They entered the room and closed the door behind them. They then sat down in two chairs that were in front of Master Hand's desk.

"Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I needed to talk to you. Well, it's because Dr. Mario gave me a startling report concerning the two of you yesterday. I already know what it is, but I still want to hear it from your mouths." Master Hand started.

"Very well. Yesterday, I was told that I was with child. Shulk and I are due to be parents." Lucina admitted.

"I see. Then I will not beat around the bush. It is because of that fact that I am making this decision. Please be aware that this was not an easy decision for me to make, but it is what must be done. It's simply not a good idea to have a pregnant woman participate in so many brutal fights." Master Hand continued.

"Where are you going with this?" Shulk asked warily.

"Lucina, you are being removed from the Smash Brothers tournament." Master Hand said.

"WHAT?!" Shulk and Lucina shouted simultaneously.

"Yes. By tomorrow, you are to have your things packed and ready to return to your home in Ylisse." Master Hand stated.

"But, what about me?" Shulk asked.

"What about you? You're not the one who's pregnant, so you'll be staying." Master Hand answered.

"B-but you can't do this! You can't just take my wife away from me! It's not fair!" Shulk yelled.

"Hardly anything in life is. As I said, we can't have a pregnant woman compete in the tournament. The amount of damage she takes in battle could cause injury in the baby. By sending her home, she and the baby will be safe." Master Hand responded.

"Why can't she just stay here and not fight? You've excused people from fights before, and for some long periods of time, too. Why can't you just do that again for her?" Shulk asked.

"It's true that I have excused some of my Smashers from fights before, and for periods of up to a month. But it simply wouldn't be fair to excuse Lucina for nine months straight while she does nothing until the day she gives birth." Master Hand answered.

"Will my removal be permanent? Can I not simply return to the mansion after I have given birth and continue to compete?" Lucina asked.

"No. Again, it wouldn't be fair to the other Smashers if I let you go home for nine months then let you come back as if nothing's changed." Master Hand responded.

"Please, don't do this. If you do, I might never see my wife again. And I'll never get to see my own kid at all! I can't let that happen." Shulk pleaded.

"There is no other way. This is how it must be. I'm sorry." Master Hand responded.

"Fine! If she's being kicked out, I quit! I'm leaving with her." Shulk declared.

"Nice try, but you're not allowed to just up and quit like that. If I allowed that, I doubt I'd have hosted more than one of these tournaments. There's simply no way that Lucina can stay if she can't compete in any of her matches." Master Hand replied.

Shulk continued to think of something, _anything,_ he could say to make it so he would not have to be separated from his wife. How could he possibly make it so she could stay? There had to be something. Suddenly, an idea dawned on Shulk.

"I'll do it." He declared.

"What?" Master Hand asked.

"You said she couldn't stay if she couldn't compete in her matches. Well, I'm going to be taking all of her matches until after she's given birth and can fight on her own again. I've seen some of the Smashers cover for others before, so I'll just do it for the next nine months." Shulk said adamantly.

"Shulk, would you really do that for me?" Lucina asked.

"Yes. It's like I said yesterday, I'll be there for you no matter what. Master Hand makes it makes it sound like your fated to go home because of this. But what is it you like to say a lot during some of your fights?" Shulk asked.

"I challenge my fate!" Lucina answered.

"Too right. We both have in the past, and I know we will continue to." Shulk said.

"Most noble of you, Shulk. And I admit, in theory, that plan could work. But there is one gaping flaw. You alone probably couldn't handle taking on each of Lucina's fights, as well as your own, for that long a period of time. The effort would likely push you past the point of exhaustion. Also, what would you do if I were to schedule you and Lucina in a fight together?" Master Hand asked.

Shulk was now at a loss for words. He kept trying to think of something to make it so his wife could stay. However, his thoughts were interrupted by someone else opening the door to Master Hand's study. It was none other than Lucina's good friend, Robin.

"Pardon me, Master Hand. I was wondering if I could speak to you about… Oh, you seem busy right now. I'll come back in a minute." Robin said upon noticing Shulk and Lucina.

"Robin, wait! I need to talk to you." Shulk said, suddenly getting an idea.

"What is it, Shulk?" Robin asked.

"Wait here. I'll be right back." Shulk said to Lucina as he stood and led Robin outside the room.

* * *

After leaving Master Hand's study, Shulk proceeded to explain to Robin what was going on. Lucina's pregnancy, her expulsion from the tournament, and his attempt to let her stay. He then asked Robin if he would join him in covering Lucina's fights until after she gave birth.

"I see. This is all rather shocking, to say the least." Robin mused.

"Please, I'm begging you. I don't want Lucina to go. I don't want to lose my wife. Please tell me you'll help." Shulk begged.

Robin stood in thought for a few moments before turning to face Shulk again.

"Lucina's been one of my closest friends for many years now, and I once promised her that I would be there for her no matter what." Robin started.

"So does that mean...?" Shulk started.

"Yes. I will help you to make sure Lucina does not leave. However, even between the two of us, I doubt we would be able to cover all of Lucina's fights and out own. We would need at least one more. And even then, it might be a bit of a stretch." Robin concluded.

"One more, eh? Who could we get?" Shulk mused.

Just then, the two men looked down the hall and saw another Smasher by the name of Marth approach them. Lucina had mentioned numerous times that Marth was her direct ancestor. When they had first met, she was almost too stunned to speak, being in front of her ancestor and personal hero. Since then, however, the two of them had grown to respect each other greatly. Shulk and Robin both got the same idea.

"Hello there." Marth said as he passed them.

"Hold on a second, Marth." Robin called.

"Is there something I can do for you?" Marth asked.

Shulk and Robin proceeded to explain the situation they were in to Marth.

"I see. Well, congratulations, Shulk." Marth said.

"Thanks, Marth. But still, will you help us?" Shulk asked.

"I know too well the pain of being separated by someone close to me, often doubting if I would ever see them again. So to spare you that pain, and in defense of my descendant, I shall help you." Marth declared.

"Thank you, Marth. Now then, let's go see if Master Hand will accept this little plan." Shulk said.

* * *

The three men promptly walked back into Master Hand's study and stood before the giant floating hand.

"I take it the three of you wish to say something to me." Master Hand said.

"Yes. You said that I alone couldn't cover all of Lucina's fights for the next nine months. Well, I believe the three of us can cover her fights, as well as still make our own." Shulk said.

"And the two of you are willing to go along with this?" Master Hand asked.

"Yes. Because Lucina is our friend and we don't want to see her leave or split up a happy couple." Robin said.

"You must understand by now how far I'm willing to go for the sake of my wife and child." Shulk declared.

Master Hand remained silent for a few moments, as if deep in thought. Eventually, he gave off a sigh.

"Very well. I'm willing to give this a try. But just know that all of you are on extremely thin ice. If I see any signs of overwhelming exhaustion from any of you three, or if you miss any of Lucina's fights without good reason, she will be sent home. Am I understood?" Master Hand said sternly.

The three men nodded in understanding. Lucina instantly stood up and threw her arms around Shulk.

"Thank you, Shulk. Thank you, all of you. You have no idea how grateful I am to all of you for going to such lengths for me." Lucina stated.

"Of course, Lucina. I couldn't dream of being here without you." Shulk said as he returned Lucina's hug.

Robin and Marth looked on as the loving couple embraced. They felt as though nothing could ruin this tender moment.

"What's going on here?"

Everyone present turned their heads to see Chrom standing in the doorway of Master Hand's study.

"I was wondering where you were. Did you ask Master Hand about… Lucina, what are you doing here?" Chrom asked.

"Father, I…" Lucina started.

"Did you guys not tell him yet?" Marth asked.

"N-not exactly." Shulk stuttered, suddenly afraid of how Chrom would react to Lucina being pregnant.

"Tell me what?" Chrom asked sternly.

"Well… the thing is… you see…" Shulk stammered.

"Shulk has impregnated Lucina. She's going to have a baby in about nine months." Robin blurted out, tired of listening to Shulk stutter.

" ** _YOU WHAT!?_** " Chrom screamed.

* * *

* _Month two_ *

* * *

Lucina was in her bedroom, currently trying to set up a cradle that her mother had sent her. While Lucina was grateful for the gift, she found she was having an increasingly difficult time trying to assemble the thing. She found herself wishing Shulk was present. Building things was always a specialty of Shulk's. But alas, he was busy competing in another one of his extra fights. Lucina wished Shulk didn't fight so hard on her behalf, but at the same time, she knew it was either this, or she gets sent home and never sees him again.

Shortly thereafter, Shulk entered the room and took a seat on the bed. He looked somewhat tired.

"Man, I never thought I would have to go through two 8 man Smashes in one day." Shulk said.

"I must admit, that does sound like quite a challenge." Lucina said.

"So what have you been up to all day?" Shulk asked.

"Well, earlier today, I received a rather generous gift in the mail. My mother has sent a cradle for our baby. I have spent much time attempting to put it together. Though, I am having some difficulty trying to assemble it." Lucina answered.

"Here, let me have a go at it." Shulk said.

"Are you certain? You seem rather tired."

"Don't worry, love. I'll be fine. Does this thing have any instructions?"

"There are some provided by mother on her letter. Here." Lucina said as she passed a piece of paper to Shulk.

Shulk took the letter and walked over to the pieces of the cradle. He swiftly began assembling it. Lucina was happy at how well Shulk was handling the fact that he would be a parent soon. But she herself still had some doubts as to whether or not she would be a good mother. As he was just finishing up the crib, Shulk looked over and saw a look of uncertainty in his wife's face.

"Is something wrong, love?" Shulk asked.

"It's nothing Shulk. You needn't worry about it." Lucina responded.

"I don't think it's 'nothing', Lucina. You can tell me."

"…Very well. It's just, if I cannot so much as assemble a simple cradle, what hope have I of being a good mother?" Lucina confessed.

"Come now, we've been over this. You'll be great." Shulk reassured.

"You say that, but I still worry."

"Don't. I promise I'll be there the whole way."

"But I still wonder what I could do. You seem to be adept to most everything. Look, you've already finished the cradle. I have been trying to put it together for almost an hour, and you did it in a few minutes. What hope am I?"

"You're plenty hope, love. There are loads of things you can do that I can't. For example, you're great at making sure I take care of myself. And when I can't, you help take care of me. I'm not sure I'd know what to do if you got sick. I'm no doctor. And believe me, that will really come in handy when the kid comes." Shulk explained.

"You really mean that, Shulk?"

"Yeah, so don't go doubting yourself."

"Thank you, Shulk." Lucina said as she embraced Shulk.

* * *

* _Month three_ *

* * *

Lucina was lying on her bed in clear discomfort. Pretty much everything was swollen and in pain. Her only saving grace was that instead of wearing her normal, constricting outfit, she was wearing a much looser and more comfortable set of clothes. Still, that did pretty much nothing to alleviate her pain. She mentally cursed Shulk for putting her in this position by getting her pregnant. Just then, Shulk himself walked into the room and looked at his agitated wife.

"'ello, love. How're you doing today?" Shulk asked.

"Not well. I am in constant pain from my swelling, and I am hungry as well." Lucina said irritably.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. Do you want me to get you something to eat?" Shulk offered.

"No. What I want is for you so help me alleviate my pain."

"How do I do that?"

"I don't know. Just do something. Anything!" Lucina shouted.

Shulk instantly went to work trying to make his wife feel better, but to no avail.

"It's not working." Lucina deadpanned.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what to do." Shulk replied.

"Then you must figure it out. After all, it is because of you that I am in this position."

"Wait, what?"

"Yes, it is because of you that I am pregnant, and it is because I am pregnant that I am in this pain."

"C'mon, that's not entirely fair. I may have gotten you pregnant, but I didn't intentionally mean you pain. I would never. I'm just doing everything I can to make this whole thing peaceful and calm for you."

"That's another thing. How can you possibly stay so calm during all of this? We're going to have a child, Shulk! How are you not panicking about what is about to happen?!" Lucina yelled.

"…You think I'm not?" Shulk retorted.

"What?" Lucina said.

"Truth be told, I am scared. Almost as scared as I was when I fought Zanza. I am worried that I will somehow botch this whole thing up. But I got past that, and I can get past this. I know I can. And I know you can too. Because I know overly worrying and focusing on the negatives won't do any good. Believe me, I know. That's why I'm doing everything I can to make this go as well as possible." Shulk said.

"Shulk… I am sorry for needlessly being angry with you over something you have no control over. You are correct. I can and will overcome this, and I know you will always be there to help me." Lucina replied.

"That's better, love." Shulk said as he got close to his wife to comfort her.

* * *

* _Month four_ *

* * *

"Shulk, would you please bring me a bowl of rice with chocolate sauce on top?" Lucina requested.

* * *

* _Month five_ *

* * *

Shulk and Lucina were currently in the Mess Hall, enjoying their dinner. Lucina's plate was still larger than it usually was, but at least she was finally eating somewhat normally. Her stomach had expanded quite a bit as the baby inside her continued to grow.

"I'm impressed that you're able to eat that much in one sitting." Shulk said as he looked at Lucina's food tray.

"Do not patronize me. I must feed for two for the time being, you know this, Shulk." Lucina retorted.

"Wasn't trying to. I'm just saying."

"Still, I sincerely wish that I did not look this… fat, for lack of a better word."

"I don't think you're fat, love. Just pregnant. There's a difference."

"I appreciate your words, Shulk. Truly I do."

Just then, Chrom came and sat across from Lucina and Shulk. Lucina was rather pleased to be able to speak with her father once again, while Shulk was just glad that Chrom had finally calmed down and was not actively trying to hurt him like when the blue haired man found out his future daughter was pregnant.

"Hello there." Chrom greeted.

"'ello." Shulk replied.

"Good evening, father." Lucina said.

"I merely came by to see how my daughter and my daughter's daughter are doing." Chrom said.

"Father, we have been over this. We do not yet know whether my child will be a boy or a girl." Lucina said.

"Yeah, what makes you so certain that we're going to have a girl?" Shulk asked.

"I just have a gut feeling. Just like I did when Sumia was pregnant with my first child." Chrom answered.

"Really? Did you truly say that when mother was carrying me? If so, I must admit, I have no such feeling. I do not have any strong sense as to whether my child will be a boy or…" Lucina started.

As she was talking, Lucina felt something strange. Something coming from within her. Her silence suddenly began to worry Shulk and Chrom. Especially Shulk.

"Lucina, is something wrong?" Chrom said.

"What's happening?!" Shulk asked.

"I do not know. Suddenly I feel like… ugh! I think the baby just kicked me!" Lucina answered.

"Wait, really?" Shulk asked.

"Well then, I believe that is good news." Chrom said.

"How do you figure?" Shulk asked.

"I seem to recall Sumia telling me that a baby kicking before birth is a good sign that the baby is healthy." Chrom answered.

"Really? Then this is wonderful! I hope the baby does it again." Lucina replied.

As if on cue, Lucina suddenly felt another kick come from within her. She could not help but smile at this. Her smile only grew when Shulk gently placed a hand on her stomach, hoping to feel a kick himself. Sure enough, he felt one shortly afterwards.

"Well now, I'm glad our little baby is nice and healthy, love." Shulk stated.

"As am I, Shulk." Lucina replied as she leaned into her husband contently.

* * *

* _Month six_ *

* * *

At the start of a new day, Shulk and Lucina awoke, ready to face whatever the day had planned for them. Shulk got out of bed and began preparing for the day easily enough, but Lucina was having issue.

"Lucina? You alright, love?" Shulk asked.

"I'm fine. But I seem unable to sit up. I am not sure why." Lucina responded.

"Could it be because you've got a little something down in your gut?" Shulk said teasingly.

"I'm not sure what you mean."

"Come on, there's no shame in admitting the kid's giving you a hard time."

"It's quite alright. I'm sure I can manage."

Lucina then attempted to sit up once again, but was unable to. Ultimately, Shulk went over to her and helped her get into a sitting position. From there, Lucina was able to get on her feet and begin getting ready for the day.

"You have my gratitude, Shulk. Though I still believe I would have been fine on my own."

"Come on, now. What kind of gent would I be if I didn't help my own wife every now and then?" Shulk said.

"In any case, may I ask what you have planned for today?" Lucina asked.

"Outside of a couple of fights, not much. Why?"

"Well, I was hoping that, as the day drew to a close, you and I might… take a stroll through the gardens?"

"Alright, sounds good. Besides, a little exercise might do you good."

"Wonderful. Simply let me know when you are ready."

"I will, love."

With that, the loving couple finished preparing for the day then opened their door to embrace it.

* * *

* _Month seven_ *

* * *

"Shulk! Where is my plate of ketchup dipped jelly doughnuts?!" Lucina yelled.

* * *

* _Month eight_ *

* * *

It was Family Day once again. Most of the mansion's inhabitants were outside greeting their loved ones for the first time in a year. However, there were two Smashers who were not outside with the rest of the group. This was because they were still in their bedroom. Lucina's large stomach had made it next to impossible for her to even sit up without assistance, much less get on her own two feet. And since Shulk was currently still getting dressed, he couldn't help her at the moment.

"I can't believe we overslept. I don't think we've ever done that on Family Day before." Shulk commented.

"Indeed. I must say I am not fond of how I have been sleeping of late. Having this large an abdomen makes getting comfortable rather difficult." Lucina responded.

"Try having the kid kick you in the back all through the night." Shulk muttered.

"Well, given the time, it is likely that our loved ones have already arrived."

"Yeah. Too bad we weren't there to say 'ello to 'em."

"I apologize for slowing you down over these past few months, Shulk."

"Don't be, love. You're pregnant, and because of that, you have to come first. You'll always be first. I love you."

"I love you as well."

The couple then engaged in a passionate kiss. Once they separated, Shulk walked toward the door.

"Well, I'm going to find our lot of friends and family and bring them here." Shulk said.

"That sounds lovely. I shall wait here for your return."

"See you shortly, love."

With that, Shulk left the room. However, not even ten seconds after he was gone, Lucina felt her stomach rumble. She was hungry. And unfortunately, there was no food on hand for her to eat.

"Shulk! Wait! Are you still there? Shulk!... No. You know what? I shall get my own food. I do not need to wait for him. I am not an invalid. I don't believe Shulk will return before I have gotten myself food." Lucina resolved.

The pregnant woman then used one hand to grab her bedpost, and used the other to push down on the mattress. Slowly but surely, she managed to pull herself to her feet. She wobbled a bit due to her extra weight, but managed to keep her balance. After that, she slowly walked out of her room and toward the Mess Hall.

After carefully walking down a flight of stairs to the first floor, she approached the Mess Hall. However, just as she approached the door, she heard a voice call out to her.

"Lucina, is that you?"

Lucina turned to face whoever was speaking and saw none other than her mother, Sumia.

"Mother!" Lucina called.

The blue haired princess approached her mother as quickly as she could, which wasn't very fast, but still, and the two women hugged.

"It is so good to see you again! I have missed you. Where are the others?" Lucina asked.

"They're with Chrom right now. We were waiting to see if you might join us, but when you didn't, I decided to go and look for you. I was wondering where you were. You weren't outside to greet us like you normally were." Sumia stated.

"Yes, and I do apologize, mother. It's just that… ever since this happened to me, moving around has become quite difficult." Lucina said as she gestured to her baby bump.

Sumia then stared at her pregnant daughter's stomach in shock. After a few seconds, Sumia looked Lucina in the eye once again.

"So it is true." Sumia whispered.

"Yes. I would not lie to you, mother." Lucina responded.

"I know you wouldn't, dear. It's just… it's one thing to read about it in a letter, but it's another to actually see it in person. How far along are you?"

"I am in the eighth month. So I shall be giving birth soon."

Sumia then raised her hand and slowly brought it toward Lucina's pregnant stomach. However, before she could touch it, she hesitated.

"Er, may I, dear?" Sumia asked.

"Of course, mother." Lucina answered.

With that, Sumia gently put her hand on Lucina's bulging gut. Both women couldn't help but smile at the contact.

"Well, I believe your baby will be nice and healthy." Sumia stated.

"I certainly hope so, mother." Lucina replied.

"I know so. Don't forget, I've been in your place twice before. And you feel a lot like I did when I was that far along with my daughters. Speaking of which, do you believe you will have a boy or a girl?"

"I'm not certain. And personally, I do not care. Nor does Shulk. All we want is for our baby to be healthy and happy."

"Aww. That's such a sweet thing to say."

Sumia then moved her hand to different points of Lucina's stomach.

"However, if you wish for my opinion, and I may be wrong here, but I think you have a little boy in here." Sumia determined.

"Really? You think so? Father seems convinced that I will bear a daughter." Lucina said.

"Well, while I did just say you feel a lot like I did at eight months, I can feel some differences. But again, I could be wrong."

"I suppose we shall just have to wait and see."

"Indeed. Anyway, why don't we catch up with the others. Everyone's quite anxious to see you again. Especially Cynthia. You should have seen her when she first found out you were with child."

"I hold no doubt that she will be a marvelous aunt to my child. However, before we return to the others, do you think I might get some food? I have not eaten at all today."

"Of course, sweetheart. I'll go with you; I could use a cup of tea myself."

The two women then walked into the Mess Hall to get themselves some food.

* * *

Shulk was currently in the main hall of the Smash Mansion. He had looked in numerous places, but for some reason, he was unable to locate either his friends or Lucina's family. He was running out of places to look for them. He really wished he hadn't slept in.

"Where could they be?" Shulk muttered to himself.

"Oi! There you are, Shulk!"

Shulk instantly turned his head and saw his three friends Reyn, Dunban, and Riki standing near the front door of the mansion. The blonde swordsman instantly went up and greeted his friends.

"Guys! It's so good to see you again!"

"Too right, man! How ya been? You doing good? You haven't written in forever." Reyn said.

"Yeah, I'm good. Sorry I haven't written in a while, it's just…"

It was at this moment that Shulk made a shocking realization. While Lucina had previously written her friends and family at home, telling them that she was to be a parent, he had done no such thing. Since the day he and Lucina found out about the baby, Shulk had never once written to his friends. They did not know that he was going to be a father in just about a month. Well, it was now or never, Shulk reasoned.

"Is Shulk ok? Shulk seems sort of distracted." Riki asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. It's just that…well… There's something I need to tell you guys. Something shocking. Something I probably should have told you a long time ago." Shulk said.

"Is everything alright, Shulk? You're acting rather strange." Dunban stated.

"Yeah, everything's good, but this is rather… big news." Shulk responded.

"Well, come on. Out with it!" Reyn said.

"Alright, well… the thing is… umm…"

Shulk then leaned toward Reyn and whispered something in his ear.

"Wait, say again, man?" Reyn asked.

Shulk then whispered into Reyn's ear once again. Once Shulk was done speaking, Reyn's eyes went as wide as dinner plates and he took a step back in shock.

"NO! No! There's no way, man! There's no way!" Reyn shouted.

"What did he say, Reyn?" Dunban asked.

Reyn then leaned toward Dunban and whispered something in his ear. Dunban then turned to look at Shulk in surprise.

"Is this true, Shulk?!" Dunban asked.

Shulk merely nodded.

"What Shulk say? What Shulk say?! Dundun tell Riki what Shulk told Reyn told him!" Riki demanded.

Dunban then whispered into Riki's ear what he had heard. The little Nopon then shrieked in surprise.

"Shulk is going to be daddypon?!" Riki yelled.

"Yeah, I am." Shulk answered.

"I-I can't believe this! You, a dad?! Never thought I'd see the day." Reyn said.

"I admit, I wasn't really expecting it, either. But Lucina's been doing good with it so far." Shulk said.

"Well, that is good to hear. When is your child due, if I may ask?" Said Dunban.

"In about a month." Shulk answered.

"Really?! She's been pregnant this long and you never told us?!" Reyn exclaimed.

"Yeah, sorry about that. But to be fair, taking care of a pregnant woman ain't exactly easy." Shulk pointed out.

"Oh, I'm sure. Is there anything we can do?" Dunban asked.

"Well there is one thing you could do for me." Shulk stated.

"What do ya need man?" Reyn asked.

"When you lot get back to Bionis, could you lot send us a steady stream of baby supplies like diapers, clothes, food, and the like? Believe it or not, things like that aren't made all that much around here. Lucina's family is sending some as well, but I don't think it will be enough." Shulk answered.

"Heropon Riki is ready to help! Riki will give Shulk's littlepon lots and lots of toys! Littlepon will be spoiled!" Riki declared.

"Take it easy, furball. Kid's gonna need more than just toys to survive. We're on it, Shulk." Reyn stated.

"Yes, you can depend on us." Dunban added.

"Thanks. I knew I could count on you lot. Now then, I think I should be going back to Lucina, and I'm sure you guys would like to talk to her." Shulk said.

"Course we would! I wanna see my future niece or nephew!" Reyn exclaimed.

"Wait, what was that, Reyn?" Dunban said.

"What? Shulk 'n' I grew up together. We're best friends, practically brothers. I'm sure he'd let the kid call me Uncle. Right, Shulk?" Reyn asked.

"Sure. Why not?" Shulk said as he laughed at his childhood friend.

* * *

* _Month nine_ *

* * *

Shulk was currently in the midst of a match against Richter Belmont on a stage called Palutena's Temple. However, it was not going well for the Monado wielder. What had started as a five stock match had turned into Shulk only having two stocks left, while Richter hadn't even lost one yet. The reason for this is because Shulk was not currently fighting with his usual strength. He had been told that his wife was due to give birth any day now, and he was overly worried for her to the point of getting distracted by his own thoughts in the middle of battle.

However, he was pulled from his thoughts when Richter's whip hit him smack in the face, sending him back toward the fountain on the left end of the stage. He quickly got up and activated his Speed Art. With it, he ran past Richter and onto the rope bridge. He then jumped off the bridge and onto one of the floating platforms underneath it. When Richter jumped after him, Shulk sent a punch, kick, and Monado swing toward the vampire hunter. This made Richter fall off the floating platform and fall onto another floating platform. Shulk jumped after him and attempted to land a hit, but missed, landing on one of the lowest platforms of the stage. This got Shulk lost in his thoughts again.

' _What if I somehow miss something to do with the baby? What if I forget to feed him or her at some point?_ ' Shulk thought.

Before he could think further, a sliding kick from Richter almost knocked him off the stage. Shulk managed to recover, but the Belmont was waiting for him. Several swings of Richter's mighty whip managed to knock Shulk around. While Shulk did manage to land a few decent hits with the Monado, a whip assisted uppercut from Richter sent Shulk back onto one of the floating platforms.

"Come on! I know you can do better than this. Give me a good fight, Shulk!" Richter yelled.

The Belmont then jumped after Shulk, but was knocked back by a swing of the Monado. Shulk swung the Monado again, but missed. Richter then jumped upward and struck Shulk through the platform the latter was standing on with his whip. After this, Shulk found himself near the cave like part of the stage. The blonde swordsman swung the Monado in a circle at his feet, managing to knock Richter back. He attempter to go after Richter, but was lost in his own thoughts again.

' _Will I even be able to keep my kid safe in a madhouse like the Smash Mansion? What if he or she makes their way into…?_ '

Shulk was only pulled from his thoughts by seeing Richter throw a Cross at him. Shulk barely managed to dodge before going after Richter again. Once they were on the same platform, Richter attempted to throw a vial of Holy Water, only for Shulk to sidestep it. However, Shulk was then caught in a Cross and whip combo, sending him to the bottom of a waterfall on the right end of the stage.

"Can we please begin fighting seriously, Shulk? I am beginning to grow bored with this fight." Richter said.

In response to this, Shulk went after Richter and attempter to perform an Air Slash on him, but only landed the first hit. The blue clad hunter dodged the second hit and flung his whip in Shulk's direction, sending him to the ground. Another fling of the whip sent Shulk upward and onto the bridge. Richter jumped after him and attempted to land another hit on Shulk, but the Monado wielder dodged and ran for the right end of the bridge. Richter then jumped up and made his way to the opposite end of the bridge.

"Listen, I know you're worried about your wife, but fighting the way you currently are won't make time go any faster. A good fight is the only way you'll get done here." Richter stated.

"You're right. You're right! Let's get this going for real!" Shulk shouted.

With that, Shulk activated the Monado and ran across the bridge toward Richter with a mighty war cry. The blue clad vampire hunter braced himself for Shulk's attack. Shulk reared back him Monado for a swing and then…

" **STOP!** "

Shulk froze in his tracks as he and Richter wondered what was going on. They both recognized the voice as that of Master Hand, but what was he doing interrupting their fight?

" **This match has been canceled. I am declaring a No Contest.** " Master Hand stated.

As they were brought back to the Transporter Room, Shulk and Richter were left even more confused. A No Contest was never declared unless one of the fighters decided to forfeit, or if there was some kind of emergency. Neither of them had forfeited, so what was going on?

* * *

As soon as they made it back to the Transporter Room, they were instantly greeted by Master Hand.

"What exactly is going on?" Richter asked.

Master Hand ignored him and turned to Shulk.

"Shulk, your presence is requested in the Medical Wing immediately." Master Hand said.

"The Medical Wing? But why would… Oh no!" Shulk exclaimed.

Without wasting another second, Shulk activated his Speed Art and ran out of the Transporter Room as quickly as he could and headed toward the Medical Wing. The Art eventually wore off, but by then, he was just outside the entrance to the Medical Wing. He entered and began looking around frantically.

"Lucina! Lucina, where are you?!" Shulk shouted.

Shulk then heard loud moaning coming from one of the side rooms in the Medical wing. Shulk quickly approached the room and threw the door open. Sure enough, he saw Lucina lying down on a medical bed with Dr. Mario standing over her. There were also two Miis standing nearby assisting Dr. Mario. Lucina was currently groaning in pain while clutching her stomach. Suddenly, she tensed up and her yelling got a bit louder.

"Lucina!" Shulk called.

"Shulk!" Lucina responded as she reached out for him.

Shulk then ran to be by his wife's side, but was stopped by the two Miis.

"What? What's going on here?! Let me go!" Shulk yelled.

"I'm-a sorry, Shulk, but I'm afraid I can't-a allow you in-a here right now." Dr. Mario said.

"What?! Why not?!" Shulk shouted.

"This is a bit of a delicate procedure. One that I've-a never done-a before. I cannot afford-a any distractions." Dr. Mario explained.

"That's a load of bollocks! I need to be by my wife's side for this!" Shulk yelled.

"I'm-a sorry, but-a no. Please-a remove him from-a the room." Dr. Mario told the Miis.

Despite Shulk's fanatical struggles and screaming, and Lucina's requests that her husband be allowed to stay, the Miis eventually managed to push Shulk out of the room. They then quickly shut the door and locked it. Shulk quickly approached the door and tried to open in, but found himself unable to. He then proceeded to knock and bang on the door, demanding to be let in.

"No, no, no! Let me in! Let me in, damn you! Let me in, you bloody wanker!" Shulk screamed.

After about five minutes of pounding on the door, Shulk finally gave up. He looked in the door's window and saw Dr. Mario looking back at him. Shulk only scowled at the doctor and held up his hand with his index and middle fingers pointed up and his palm facing inward. He pointed this gesture toward Dr. Mario. After that, he went back and took a seat in a chair near the entrance to the Medical Wing. As the time passed, Shulk found himself lost in his thoughts, most of them of a worrying or unpleasant nature.

' _Will Lucina be alright? Will the baby be alright? What if something goes wrong? What if Lucina doesn't make it? What if the baby doesn't make it? I don't think I can live without my wife, raising a kid alone. And I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to the baby. What if I'm not a good enough father? What if the kid ends up hating me? What if I somehow screw this up? What if Lucina doesn't think I'm a good husband or father anymore? What if…? What if…? What if…?_ '

* * *

After what felt like an eternity, Shulk finally heard the door open and saw Dr. Mario step out. Shulk was instantly on his feet and ran toward the doctor.

"Well? Is everything alright?! Is Lucina ok? Is the baby ok? What happened?!" Shulk yelled.

Dr. Mario simply stepped to the side and gestured to the room.

"You may-a go in now." The doctor stated.

Shulk made his way to the room and slowly opened the door, with Dr. Mario following behind him. The two helper Miis were also still in the room. The first thing Shulk saw was his wife. She was covered in sweat and her face was slightly red, likely due to the ordeal she just went through. The look in her eyes told Shulk she was incredibly tired. However, at the same time, her eyes conveyed a sense of extreme happiness. She also had a small yet loving smile on her face as she looked down at a small bundle in her arms.

"Lucina?" Shulk called.

Lucina looked up and her smile widened.

"Shulk!" She exclaimed quietly.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes. I am fine. I am rather exhausted, but I shall be alright."

"And the baby? Is the baby alright?"

"Yes. Our child is perfectly healthy. Come and see."

Shulk made his way to his wife's bedside. Once he made it, he finally got a good look at his newborn child. The baby had the tiniest tuft of Shulk's blonde hair. The eyes were closed, but after Lucina shifted a bit, the eyes opened, revealing them to be a deep blue, just like Lucina's. The infant cooed at Shulk as parent and child looked at each other for the first time.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Shulk asked.

"It's a boy, Shulk. Say hello to our son." Lucina answered.

As Shulk continued to look at his son, he couldn't help but smile. The child was just so beautiful to look at. As the baby cooed once again, Shulk almost felt like he was going to cry.

"He's perfect, love." Shulk said.

"Yes, he is. He looks so much like his father." Lucina pointed out.

"Yeah, but there's still a good portion of his mum in there." Shulk observed.

"Congratulations, guys. I-a know you two will-a be-a great-a parents." Dr. Mario said.

"Thanks. Oh, I really wish I had my camera on me." Shulk lamented.

"I can get it for you." One of the Miis said.

"Would you? That'd be grand. Here's my room key. It's on the dresser next to the left side of the bed." Shulk said as he handed the Mii his key card.

"I'm on it!" The Mii said before leaving the room.

"And could you go find my father? I'm certain he would like to see this." Lucina asked the other Mii.

"You got it." The Mii said before leaving.

"I'll-a leave-a you two alone for a few minutes." Dr. Mario said before exiting the room.

Once they were alone, both new parents looked at their son for a few seconds before Lucina gently held him toward Shulk.

"Here, take him." Lucina said.

"I'm not sure I'm ready to hold him yet." Shulk said.

"Do not worry. You will be fine. Just be careful."

After a moment's hesitation, Shulk gently took the child into his arms. The baby struggled ever so slightly as he was passed from his mother to his father, but he soon settled down and looked up at his father again before giving another coo. Shulk gave a smile as he brought his hand forward to gently stroke his son's face. The baby's little hands then popped out of the blanket he was wrapped in and tried to grab his father's hand. Eventually the baby managed to get his tiny little fingers around Shulk's much larger one. Shulk began laughing until he noticed something odd.

"What is that?" Shulk asked.

"What is what?" Lucina said.

"There, on the baby's palm." Shulk answered.

Shulk managed to hold his baby's hand open to discover a weird looking birthmark. It was rather odd looking, and Shulk couldn't help but stare at it, but Lucina looked at it with a small smile.

"I know what that is. That is the Brand of the Exalt." Lucina explained.

"Brand of the what now?" Shulk asked.

"Come now, Shulk. I know that I have explained this to you before. It is a birthmark carried by members of Ylissean royalty, meant to symbolize our pact with the goddess Naga. Nearly everyone in my family has it. I have it. See?" Lucina said in a slightly annoyed voice.

As she spoke, Lucina pointed to her left eye. On it, in place of an iris, was a symbol identical to the one that was now on the palm their son's right hand.

"Oh yeah. I remember you telling me about that. Well, it seems like he's lucky to have such a mark then."

Shulk smiled wide once again as he looked down on his little… Suddenly, an important question came to Shulk.

"What's his name?"

"He hasn't got one yet. I decided to wait for you before deciding on a name for him." Lucina responded.

"I see. Well, do you have any ideas?" Shulk asked.

"Unfortunately, I have none right now."

"Can you think of anyone from your past that you looked up to? Someone you admired and might want to name a child after?" Shulk asked.

"The only one I can think of is my father. Should we name him Chrom?"

"No. It'd be kind of weird if there were two people named Chrom living here."

"I could turn your earlier question on you. Is there anyone from your past you would like to honor?" Lucina asked.

"Well there are a few, but I'd rather not name him after someone who's still alive. Though, I suppose there's still…"

"Who?"

"Dickson. The guy who raised me."

"I remember you speaking of him. Did he not also betray you and attempt to kill you?"

"Yeah." Shulk frowned at the unpleasant memory. "Still, he was good to me for most of my life. And I do believe he cared for me at the very end."

"Be that as it may, I do not wish to name our child after a man who committed such acts of betrayal."

Shulk thought more on the issue. He was at a loss for ideas. He didn't know any respectable (though that term is debatable) dead aside from his foster father.

' _Wait a minute…_ ' Shulk thought.

"How about we name him Kirim?" Shulk offered.

"Kirim?" Lucina repeated.

"Yeah. That was my dad's name. My real dad. The one who went with with me, my mum, and a few others on an expedition to find the Monado, then died with all of them. His name was Kirim. At least, that's what it said in a file I found on the Monado Expedition when I was 13. I only wish I knew him a little more." Shulk explained.

Lucina contemplated this for a bit. Kirim. It sounded somewhat strange, but also unique. Lucina recalled how she had thought the same of Shulk's name back when she first heard it, all those years ago. And now she had grown to love it immensely. And she knew the same would happen with her son's name.

"I think it is a fine name. Kirim. Welcome to the world, dear Kirim." Lucina said to her son.

The baby then gave off a happy sounding coo as his parents looked upon him happily.

"I think he likes it." Shulk said.

Shulk then lifted his son toward his face and put a soft kiss on Kirim's forehead before passing him back to Lucina. At that moment, one of the Miis from before came back into the room, carrying a camera.

"I got the camera." The Mii said.

"Good. Now then, could you take a picture of the three of us?" Shulk asked.

"Of course. Everyone look this way." The Mii said.

Once everyone was facing the camera, the Mii pressed the capture button and took the picture. However, the bright light of the flash startled and scared Kirim. He immediately started crying, loudly. Lucina instantly tried calming the baby down as Shulk looked on.

"Well, I guess this is my life from now on."

* * *

 **It's always the chapters I'm most excited about that are either the longest or come out the quickest. In this case, both.**

 **Well, now my happy couple has become a family. What do you think of that, people? What do you think of this chapter in general? If you liked it, you know what to do. The follow, favorite, and comments are just below. If you didn't, you know how I feel about unnecessary hate and how to properly vent your displeasure.**

 **As I stated a very long time ago, I would be making Shulk use British accents, slang, and grammar since that's how they do it in his game of origin,** ** _Xenoblade Chronicles._** **But this time, I took it one step further and put in a common British symbol. For those who are unaware, the gesture I had Shulk give Dr. Mario, where he is holding up two fingers with the back of the hand facing outward, like a reverse 'peace' symbol, is basically the British equivalent to the middle finger. A quick way to say 'f*ck you' with just a hand gesture.**

 **I'm sure you must be wondering where I came up with the name 'Kirim' for Shulk and Lucina's child. Well, I'll tell you.**

 **Short answer: It's the name of one of the random common Blades in** ** _Xenoblade Chronicles 2._**

 **Long answer: The decision to have Shulk and Lucina have a child at some point down the line was one of the first I made in regard to planning out this story. I very quickly decided to make that child a boy since in the only other ShulkxLucina story I've read where they have a child, that child is a girl, and I wanted to do the opposite. At that point, I instantly decided that they would name that child after Shulk's father. With that said, the first thing I did was go online and see if Shulk's father was ever given a name. I looked at a few websites, I scoured several** ** _Xenoblade_** **cutscenes, looked at anything that could prove useful, but found nothing. After that, I decided to just make up a name and claim this was the name of Shulk's father. My first attempt involved taking the name of Shulk's creator and director of** ** _Xenoblade Chronicles_** **, Tetsuya Takahashi, cutting several letters out of his name, and scrambling the ones I had left, in the hope that I would come up with something that sounded like it came from the world of** ** _Xenoblade._** **I tried this several times, but never came up with a combination I liked. I then decided to try something easier. I looked at a list of names of random NPC's from** ** _Xenoblade Chronicles,_** **hoping to find one I liked, and hoping no one would know where I got the name from. But again, I found nothing I liked. I eventually decided to give up and come back to the issue at a later time. It was around this time I got a copy of** ** _Xenoblade Chronicles 2_** **. After playing the game for a time and acquiring a fair number of Blades, I thought to myself, 'Hey, why not name Shulk and Lucina's kid after one of these guys?'. So that's what I did.**

 **Anyway, in the next chapter, Shulk and Lucina will find out just how hard being a parent is. Especially when you have to do it on top of fighting in an inter-dimensional tournament.**

 **I'll get that chapter out as soon as possible. So long everyone, see you next time.**


	23. Experiencing Difficulties

**Welcome back, everyone. How have you been? I've been good.**

 **It is once again time for another chapter. I've gotten quite far into this story, and the conclusion draws ever closer. When I get there, I hope you enjoy it. But until then, here is another normal chapter.**

 **3 Question Marks: I'm surprised I managed to come up with a food combination that one you actually enjoyed when you were young. What are the odds? Honestly, I was just looking for a strange food combination. Though to be fair, when I was young, I enjoyed quite a few strange food combos. In fact, I still kind of do. On occasion, I like to use cream cheese as a dipping sauce for potato chips.**

 **I'm glad you found Chrom's reaction funny. Though I know of Vegeta and Dragon Ball, I've never really watched it. Truth be told, I never really enjoyed anime at all very much. I'm not sure why. When I was writing that scene, the thought that went through my mind was that one scene from SpongeBob where he plays an April Fool's Day prank on a customer and the customer says 'YOU WHAT?' when demanding to know what SpongeBob did. I'm pretty sure that scene eventually became a meme.**

 **Althea Sirius: To answer your first question, read on to find out. To answer your second question, I never put much thought into in aside from 'Cynthia will be an Aunt due to being Lucina's sister.' And 'Reyn will be an honorary Uncle due to being so close to Shulk.'. Will I do something with this? Maybe. Maybe not. You'll just have to wait to find out.**

 **HartemisFTW: You're welcome. I'm glad I wasted ten minutes of your life on my stupid little joke. Alright, in all seriousness, though, it was a onetime thing. I thought about doing another stupid joke, and I sorta kinda did with chapter 13, but I don't plan on doing it again with this story. Also, don't worry, the next chapter won't take as long to get out as this one. But trust me, this isn't me at my worst. If you truly want to see me use the Dark Side of the Force, go full Sith Lord, just wait a few more chapters. * _Insert Emperor Palpatine laugh here_ * (Oh great, you've brought out my inner _Star Wars_ nerd. I was really hoping to keep it dormant until December. I hope you're happy.)**

 **Well, now that that's all said and done, please sit back, relax, and enjoy the chapter.**

 ** _Super Smash Bros._ ****© Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai**

* * *

* _outside the Transporter Room_ *

* _6:00 PM_ *

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this, Lucina? It's only been a week since you gave birth." Shulk said.

"I am sure. While I am appreciative of everything you, Robin, and Marth have done for me over the past months, it is time that I began fighting for myself once again." Lucina responded.

The married couple were just outside the Transporter Room, with Shulk carrying their newborn son, Kirim. After Lucina had finally managed to recover from the post childbirth complications, she felt it was time to step back into the arena. However, Shulk was unsure. Not only had she not fought or even trained over the past nine months, but neither of them had gotten much sleep over the past week thanks to the baby. It had already started affecting Shulk's battle performance slightly, and now he was worried how Lucina would fare. Still, she only chalked it up to her husband being overly concerned for her. She felt she was ready to fight. So fight she would.

* * *

As Shulk and Kirim entered the Spectator Room, Lucina made her way into the Transporter Room for a fight against Meta Knight. This was to be a timed match, with three minutes on the clock. The fight would be taking place on a stage called Final Destination, one of the oldest stages in Smash Bros. history, second only to Battlefield. As the two combatants were transported to the stage, the announcer counted down to the fight.

 _3_

 _2_

 _1_

 _GO!_

Lucina made the first move. She ran over to Meta Knight and jumped above him. She then sent two individual sword swings at him while still airborne. While Meta Knight was almost knocked off the stage, he recovered and counterattacked by using his wings to fly upward in a circle and hit Lucina twice with his sword. Meta Knight landed on his feet while Lucina landed on her back. Once she got to her feet, the two combatants danced around each other for a few seconds before Lucina was hit by a sword swing. Meta Knight followed this up with a strong kick. He then swiped his sword at Lucina a few more times, sending her to the ground.

Before Lucina even had a chance to get back up, Meta Knight knocked her off the stage with another sword swing. He then jumped off the stage and hit her with another sword swing, knocking her past the point of possible recovery, resulting in Lucina's first KO. Meta Knight made it back to the stage no problem thanks to his wings.

Upon being returned to the stage, Lucina tried to attack Meta Knight, but was caught up in his infamous drill attack. Lucina quickly got to her feet, but was immediately hit with a series of sword swings from the Star Warrior, knocking her back a ways. Before Lucina could even land, Meta Knight got under her and sent a series of sword swings upward, launching Lucina even further into the air. He then followed up with another drill attack, sending Lucina to the other side of the stage.

Lucina got up and attempted to attack again, but two quick sword swings knocked her back. She attempted to jump over Meta Knight, but he intercepted the blue haired woman and knocked her slightly off stage with another sword attack. Lucina attempted to recover, but Meta Knight was waiting for her at the edge of the stage. He hit her with enough force to knock her into the stage's invisible barrier, resulting in her second KO.

Upon being brought back to the stage, Lucina attempted to land a series of sword swings at Meta Knight, but missed. Meta Knight replied by executing another drill attack, but also missed. Lucina tried to take advantage of the missed blow by performing a series of sword swings while stepping forward, but still didn't hit the masked warrior.

Meta Knight quickly swung behind him, knocking Lucina back, the two danced around each other for some time before Meta Knight got right in front of her and swiped his sword at her as hard as he could. He almost knocked her off the stage, but Lucina managed to land a counterattack, knocking Meta Knight near the center of the stage. Lucina quickly approached him and knocked him skyward with her sword. While in the air, Meta Knight performed another drill attack to get away from Lucina, but this did not work. Lucina jumped up and managed to hit Mata Knight with the tip of her sword, knocking him off the stage. However, he used his wings to get back on the stage.

Upon returning to the stage, Meta Knight knocked Lucina back with two individual sword swing attacks, before catching her up in a tornado like attack. While Lucina was knocked down from this attack, he attempted his tornado attack again, but failed to hit Lucina. As soon as she got back up, Lucina managed to land a series of sword swings on Meta Knight, using the last one to launch him upward. She attempted to land another attack on him by slashing her sword upward, but missed. Once they were both on the ground again, Lucina swiftly grabbed him and kneed him twice before throwing him forward and hitting him with her sword. Meta Knight used his wings to fly above Lucina and avoid her attacks before using his drill move to land behind her.

Upon landing, Meta Knight knocked Lucina into the air with his circular upward strike. Once she fell back on the stage, she managed to get behind Meta Knight and hit him with a powerful sword swing, and actually managed to KO him. Upon returning to the stage, Meta Knight was not amused. He unleashed a flurry of attacks on Lucina without giving her any room to counterattack. He started with a flurry of sword swings that knocked her back, then followed it up with a series of upward swings that launched Lucina upward. He next performed his signature tornado attack, striking Lucina multiple times, before topping it all off with another upward strike.

Once she landed, Lucina attempted to swing at Meta Knight but missed. The masked fighter then charged forward and grabbed Lucina. He headbutted her a few times before throwing her forward. After moving around each other for a few seconds, avoiding each other's attacks, Meta Knight managed to grab Lucina again and repeated his action from before. He headbutted her twice before throwing her. Upon throwing her, Meta Knight hit Lucina with a powerful sword swing that knocked her into the stage's invisible barrier, KO'ing blue haired woman for the third time.

Once Lucina returned to the stage, Meta Knight immediately went on the offensive. With only a minute left on the clock, Lucina knew she would have to act fast if she wanted to win. She and Meta Knight danced around each other for a few seconds until Meta Knight executed his drill attack once again. After being knocked off the stage by the attack, Lucina managed to hold onto the edge and pull herself back up, only to be immediately hit by an attack from Meta Knight. He knocked her upward with his upward loop attack and made her land flat on her back while he landed on his feet. The pair then danced around each other for several seconds, with both landing minor attacks on the other until Meta Knight landed an especially strong attack that sent Lucina flying across the stage before landing flat on her face.

Once she got back up, Lucina hit Meta Knight with a jab of her sword, sending him back a few feet. The Star Warrior responded by knocking Lucina into the air once again with his upward loop attack. Lucina landed on the ground, hard. She slowly got to her feet and ran for Meta Knight. The two combatants fought around each other for some time until Lucina sent out a sword jab right at Meta knight's mask. The attack knocked Meta Knight about halfway across the stage.

Meta Knight immediately hit Lucina with a sword swing that also knocked her about halfway across the stage. He then ran up to her and knocked her high into the air with a powerful sword jab. As she fell to the ground, Meta Knight knocked her even higher into the air with another jab attack. He then did it again as Lucina fell near him. This time, the attack was strong enough to knock Lucina into the invisible barrier surrounding the stage, and thus she was KO'd for the fourth time total.

Once she made it back to the stage, she attacked Meta Knight with all she had, but only managed to hit him once or twice. It was at this moment that the announcer began counting down to the end of the fight.

 _5_

 _4_

 _3_

 _2_

 _1_

 _TIME!_

" _Meta Knight wins!_ " Cried the announcer.

* * *

Lucina was outright shocked at how badly that turned out for her. She knew she was out of practice, but she didn't think it was that bad.

"Hmph. Come back when you can put up a fight." Meta Knight said as he left the Transporter Room.

This comment left Lucina even more upset. She didn't even notice when Shulk came up to her holding Kirim until the former started talking.

"Lucina, you ok?" Shulk asked.

"No. I am not. How could I have been so weak as to perform like that in a fight? I have never performed so terribly in battle." Lucina complained.

"You're not terrible, love. Just out of practice. Give it some time, and I'm sure you'll be good as new." Shulk reassured.

"Perhaps you're right, Shulk. Perhaps I need only begin training once again."

"That's right, Lucy. But before you do that, could you maybe give me a hand with…"

"In fact, would you mind accompanying me to the Training Room for a practice spar?" Lucina asked, basically ignoring Shulk's request.

Before Shulk could give a response, Lucina began walking away in the direction of the Training Room. Shulk merely gave off a sigh as he followed her while still holding onto Kirim, who was beginning to get fussy.

* * *

Once in the Training Room, Shulk had managed to convince Chrom to hold Kirim while he and Lucina trained, though Chrom really didn't mind holding his grandson, even if he didn't like the thought that he was technically a grandfather now.

Lucina swung her sword at Shulk, but he managed to duck under it. He responded by sweeping the Monado under her feet, knocking her to the ground. She quickly got up and managed to land a few decent hits on her husband until he countered and landed a powerful one on her.

"You can't just focus on offense. Don't forget that defense is important too." Shulk reminded.

Shulk immediately followed his statement by swinging his weapon at Lucina several times. The blue haired woman managed to block several of them, but never once counterattacked, despite the numerous openings Shulk intentionally provided her. Lucina did eventually swing back, but Shulk dodged her sword with ease. Lucina then jumped up and tried to hit Shulk from above. Surprisingly, she succeeded. However, the hit wasn't quite enough to knock Shulk off his feet so she could capitalize on her blow.

"Not bad, but you need to put a little more force behind your swings if you want them to be effective." Shulk stated.

Lucina did just that, but a little too well. She swung her sword as hard as she possibly could, but she lacked a proper grip on its handle as a result, Falchion flew out of her hands and slid across the floor. Lucina sighed with embarrassment as she went to reclaim her weapon.

"Okay, that grip of yours needs a bit of work." Shulk said.

Before Lucina was able to respond, Chrom came up to the two with Kirim crying in his arms.

"Hey guys, I think Kirim needs something. He's been crying and squirming for a few minutes now. I'm surprised you didn't hear him." Chrom said.

"It is getting to be rather late. Maybe he's tired." Shulk suggested as he took his son from Chrom's arms.

"Yes. I think we could all do with a night's rest. Let us retire for the evening. I believe a peaceful rest will do us all some good." Lucina said.

* * *

As it turned out, no one would be getting a peaceful rest that evening. Before even two hours had passed, Shulk and Lucina were awoken by Kirim crying right next to them.

"Uuuuhhhh. What does he want now?" Shulk asked groggily.

"I'm not sure. But I'll find out." Lucina said just as groggily.

With that, the blue haired mother slowly got out of bed and went over to her son's crib. She gently picked him up and tried to figure out what was wrong with him.

"What's wrong? Are you hungry?"

Lucina attempted to grab a spoonful of baby food and force it into Kirim's mouth, but the baby refused to allow the utensil to enter his mouth and continued crying.

"Come on, please eat. It's what you want. I know it." Lucina pleaded.

In response, Kirim simply smacked the spoon away and began crying louder. Shulk and Lucina were both glad that the walls were soundproof. They didn't want to deal with the complaints of their hallmates.

"Perhaps you're not hungry. Is it that you are in need of a fresh diaper?"

Lucina then turned her baby upside down in order to determine by smell if a new diaper was needed. It wasn't, but being upside down made blood rush to Kirim's head, making him uncomfortable and cry even more.

"Lucina! Turn him around! He doesn't like being upside down! Listen to him!" Shulk shouted.

Lucina quickly turned her baby right side up, while mentally slapping herself for doing such a thing. How could she be so careless as to hold her baby in such a poor position? Of course it would make him uncomfortable. Anyone would be uncomfortable being held upside down like that. She pushed these thoughts back for the time being and went back to thinking about what was wrong. She racked her brain thinking about what to do, until a thought came to her. Maybe he had gas. She proceeded to pat hi back, but did so a bit too hard, causing him to cry even more. Shulk was about to tell her to stop, but then Kirim stopped crying for a second. He had a pained expression on his face. Then Kirim proceeded to vomit all over Lucina's favorite nightgown. Once he was done, his crying softened and he swiftly went back to sleep. Lucina was exasperated. While her son had finally quieted down, she was still awoken in the middle of the night, and now, her favorite nightgown was ruined. After putting Kirim back in his crib and changing into another nightgown, she got back into bed.

"Lucina are you…" Shulk started.

"Let's just sleep." Lucina said, too tired to say anything else.

* * *

Unfortunately, that wound up not happening. By the time morning came around, the pair were awoken three more times over the course of the night by their son. In other words, they barely got any sleep last night. But their troubles didn't stop there. Come breakfast, they were both trying to feed their son, but he wasn't having it. No matter what they tried, Kirim simply wouldn't let the food in his mouth.

"Come on, now. You gotta eat, kid. It's good for you." Shulk pleaded as he tried to get his son to open his mouth.

But Kirim still tried to inch away from the spoon, despite his high chair keeping him in place. No matter what Shulk tried, nothing worked. Even when he did manage to get a little bit of the food in Kirim's mouth, the baby just spit it back out. Shulk was starting to get agitated, trying to think of how to get his son to eat. Soon after, Lucina came up to them.

"Allow me to try." She offered.

"If you thing you can get him to eat, go for it." Shulk said as he passed the baby's spoon to his wife.

Lucina took the spoon and attempted to force it into her son's mouth, but to the same degree of effectiveness as Shulk before her.

"Come on! You must eat! It is the only way you can become stronger!" Lucina yelled.

She finally managed to push the spoon into Kirim's mouth and did not remove it.

"I will not relent until you have swallowed what is on the spoon!" Lucina declared.

But this action, combined with the angry yelling, only served to make Kirim start crying. When his mouth was wide open, Lucina tried to put another spoonful in his mouth, but the baby only angrily knocked the spoon to the ground. He then stuck his little fist into the baby food and threw the mashed-up gunk all over Shulk and Lucina. With their faces covered in baby food, Kirim stopped crying and instead started laughing at the annoyed, mush covered expressions of his parents.

"* _Sigh_ * Battling Zanza was a breeze compared to this." Shulk stated.

* * *

Later that day, after finally getting Kirim to eat before putting him down for a nap, Shulk and Lucina returned to the Training Room to work more on the latter's rusty fighting skills. Chrom stood off to the side to observe his future daughter's progress and offer pointers whenever he could. However, Lucina seemed to be doing even worse than before. She felt like that was because she was spending more time caring for Kirim than she was practicing her fighting. Nevertheless, she pushed on.

Lucina sent a series of sword swings and jabs at Shulk, but he managed to dance just out of reach of each attack. Lucina followed it up with a downward strike, intending to knock Shulk off his feet. But again, Shulk avoided the attack. Shulk then went on the offensive and swung the Monado at Lucina several times. She dodged most of them, but the last one caught her off guard, sending her falling to the floor.

"Come on, focus Lucina. You'll never get back to where you were if you don't focus!" Shulk stated.

Lucina quickly got to her feet and ran toward Shulk. Once she was right in front of him, she immediately got into a parry position, expecting Shulk to attack her. But to her surprise, he didn't. That is, until she dropped her parry position and got into a more relaxed position. At that moment, a powerful swing of the Monado was sent toward Lucina, knocking her back once again.

Lucina then ran forward and ducked under another of Shulk's attacks. With his back facing her, Lucina landed an attack on Shulk's back. This managed to make Shulk fall on one knee, but not to the ground like she wanted. Shulk swiftly got to his feet and attacked Lucina again. She dodged the attack and again got ready to parry, but once again, Shulk did not attack until she dropped her stance, sending her to the floor for the third time total. It was at this point that Chrom stepped forward.

"You must always be ready, Lucina. Do not wait for your opponent to attack you. You must strike first." Chrom said.

"I…I cannot. It is too much. I am too out of practice. I believe I have spent too much time caring for Kirim than practicing my swordplay." Lucina admitted.

"Well, you need to find a way to strike a balance between the two. Do you think you can do that?" Shulk asked.

"Shulk's right, Lucina. Can you be ready to fight at a moment's notice while also comforting your child?" Chrom asked.

"Can you be prepared to protect your kid with your life if need be?"

"Can you be willing to drop everything for the sake of your son?"

"Can you find a way to do multiple tasks at once like hold Kirim and swing a sword against your opponent if you must?"

"Can you…?"

"Can you…?"

"Can you…?"

The never-ending questions coming from her father and husband did nothing but put more pressure on poor Lucina. She started trembling as the weight of her stress began to crush her. She felt like one more question would cause her to snap.

"Lucina, are you alright?" Shulk asked.

"NO! I am not! It is too much for me! I feel crushed by all this weight and responsibility! I do not understand how you both could ask so much of me! How could you expect me to do so much? I feel like I am unable to keep up with it all, so how can you keep doing this to me?" Lucina snapped.

Without waiting for a reply, Lucina stormed out of the Training Room and headed for her bedroom, leaving a confused and concerned Shulk and Chrom behind.

* * *

All the stress of trying to get back into the Tournament fights while simultaneously raising a child was proving too much for Lucina. As soon as she returned to her room, she threw herself on her bed and gave off a loud sigh.

"What am I even doing? Why can I no longer do the simplest of things? Why am I such a failure at this?" Lucina asked herself.

Ever since she gave birth, she had been trying her absolute hardest to be a good mother, but it didn't seem to be working out. And now that she was fighting again, it only added to her stress. She wondered if she would ever be able to get past this. She felt like she wouldn't.

At that moment, Lucina heard a crying coming from next to her. Kirim had woken from his nap and clearly wanted something. With another sigh, Lucina pushed herself off the bed and went over to her baby.

"I take it you would like something. I only wonder what that 'something' might be. Well, let us go find your father. He might know better than I what you want." Lucina said to her crying son.

With that, Lucina gently picked Kirim up and turned to the door. But to her surprise, as soon as she started holding him, his crying softened. This caused Lucina to stare down at Kirim, who's watery eyes stared at her own. The blue haired mother then sat down on the bed and continued to stare at her son. She absentmindedly began rocking her arms, which seemed to calm the baby down further. Eventually, Kirim snuggled into Lucina's embrace and fell back asleep. Lucina was unable to help but give a small smile at the sight. She gently lifted Kirim up and gave him a small kiss on his forehead. She was glad that he simply wanted comfort this time. It was so simple, she wondered how she didn't know how she didn't pick up on it immediately. It was right then Lucina was struck with an interesting thought.

"Am I trying much too hard? Is this whole thing simpler than I have made it out to be?" Lucina whispered to her sleeping son. "I always knew taking care of you would be no easy feat, but perhaps I can make it a little easier. I will find a way to make this better for the both of us. I swear to you that I will do all I can to be the mother you deserve. Shulk and I will be nothing less than the finest parents for you, dear Kirim. I swear it. I love you."

* * *

The next day, Shulk found Lucina once again in the Training Room, working on her swordsmanship. He sighed, as he was concerned she was overtasking herself again. He didn't want a repeat of her outburst from yesterday. He approached her and prepared to tell her to slow down. But to his surprise, before he could even reach her, Lucina looked over at a clock on the wall, sheathed her sword, and approached the exit. Once she saw him, she smiled at her husband.

"Hello, Shulk. I was just finishing my training regimen. Now I believe I will check on Kirim. I believe now is about the time that he awakens from his nap." Lucina said.

"Alright then. I must admit, I'm impressed you managed to stop training on your own." Shulk stated.

"Yes, I can understand why you would think that, but recently, I came to a conclusion that made me rethink my position."

"Oh really? And what's that?"

"I cannot try too hard at this. If I try too hard, it will only affect me negatively in the long run. It has before. So from now on, I will only try as hard as I absolutely must."

"Good on you for figuring that out. I'm proud of you, love."

* * *

As the married couple talked, they walked out of the Training Room and headed toward their bedroom. When they made it there, they slowly opened the door and saw that their son was still sleeping in his crib. Shulk quietly went over to it and gently picked up his son. Kirim awoke at his father's contact and began to slightly fuss at being woken up, but he quickly calmed down.

"Hey there, little guy. Have a good nap?" Shulk asked.

Kirim merely cooed in response, causing both Shulk and Lucina to smile. Lucina then took her son from Shulk's arms and held him close. Kirim continued to coo and babble as his mother held him. Lucina then took a sniff and smelled something bad. She knew what that meant.

"I believe you are in need of a new diaper. Come, let us get you changed."

With that, Lucina brought her son over to a small changing table the couple had set up in their bedroom and removed Kirim's dirty diaper and handed it to Shulk, who promptly threw it into a nearby garbage can. Lucina then grabbed a fresh diaper and put it on Kirim. Once that was done, Lucina picked her baby up and gave him a warm hug. This in turn caused Kirim to squeal happily.

"My dear son. How I adore you. May you always be happy and loved." Lucina whispered.

Shulk then put one of his arms around his wife's shoulder and the other one around his son. As he held his family close, he thought of nothing but how happy he was with what he had been given.

* * *

The next day, at breakfast, Lucina was unsuccessfully trying to get Kirim to eat again. No matter what she tried, she was unable to get the tiny spoon filled with baby food into Kirim's mouth.

"Come on. You must eat. It's good for you." Lucina pleaded.

In response, Kirim just knocked the spoon away from her. Lucina just sighed in response until Shulk came up next to her.

"Let me give it a go." The Monado wielder said.

Without a word, Lucina handed the baby spoon to Shulk, who held it in front of Kirim's mouth.

"C'mon kiddo, open up so the Flamii can get to his nest." Shulk said.

The blonde then made some silly noises while slowly bringing the spoon toward Kirim's mouth. Lucina thought Shulk was being rather odd. But much to her surprise, Kirim giggled and opened his mouth, allowing Shulk to put the food in his mouth. Shulk repeated the process and again got a spoonful of food into the previously uncooperative baby's mouth.

"How did you manage to do that? Also, what is a Flamii?" Lucina asked.

"It's a bird like creature from my home. Also, I was trying a technique I once saw a woman try on her kid back on Bionis. Works like a charm." Shulk answered.

As he spoke, he put another spoonful of baby food in Kirim's mouth. He was about to do it again, but Lucina stopped him.

"Wait, do you think I might give it a try?" Lucina asked.

"Go for it." Shulk said.

The blonde handed the small spoon to his wife and she began speaking to the baby.

"Alright, the Pegasus needs a place to land, so open up."

Lucina then made a bunch of makeshift horse-like noises as she slowly brought the spoon toward Kirim. Like Shulk before her, Kirim opened her mouth and allowed the food to enter. Lucina found that she was actually enjoying this process, and continued it until there was no more food for Kirim to eat.

"Very good, Kirim. You finished it all." Lucina praised.

"Good on ya, kiddo." Shulk added.

Kirim was happy to have both his parents shower him with praise. Even though he didn't know what they were saying or why they were so happy with him. But it made him happy, nonetheless.

* * *

Later that day, Shulk and Lucina returned to the Training Room so the latter could continue improving since her absence from the tournament. Chrom sat nearby, holding Kirim as the pair watched Shulk and Lucina train.

Lucina sent a sword swing at Shulk, but he dodged. He then responded with a floor bound swing with the Monado, but Lucina jumped up and avoided it. Shulk then sent several sword swings at his wife, but she managed to avoid them all. Eventually she saw an opening, and she took it. She parried Shulk's sword swing and countered, sending him to the ground.

"Not bad, Lucina, let's see if you can do it again." Shulk said as he got back up to his feet.

Lucina quickly jabbed her sword forward and struck Shulk, sending him backwards. However, Shulk quickly rose and went on the offensive. He activated his Jump Art and leapt behind Lucina. However, Lucina anticipated this and ran to where Shulk was landing. As soon as Shulk landed, Lucina swung her sword at him multiple times, but he managed to dodge. A powerful swing of the Monado sent Lucina to the ground, but she was quickly on her feet again.

"Not bad. You're back up much more quickly than before." Shulk commented.

"Thank you. Now then, let us continue!" Lucina yelled.

Lucina lunged at Shulk, who managed to dodge all her sword swings, but just barely. Eventually, Shulk countered one of her moves and used the Monado to launch her into the air. However, she landed on her feet and continued the fight. A series of sword swings was sent to Shulk, but he managed to avoid them all. All but the last one. The last one sent him sliding several feet backwards, but still on his feet. Shulk then charged forward and exchanged several sword swings with Lucina. Eventually Lucina saw another opening and took it. After parrying one of Shulk's attacks, she grabbed him by the shirt and kneed him in the stomach several times. After that, she sent her husband to the ground with a powerful sword swing.

"Good job, Lucina. Y'know, I think you're ready to get back into the real fights." Shulk said as he rose to his feet.

"Really? You think so?" Lucina asked.

"Yeah, I do. When is your next fight, anyway?"

"Not until tomorrow. However, I do not wish to wait. Perhaps I will see if anyone is willing to battle right now."

Right as Lucina finished speaking, Meta Knight entered the Training Room and walked over to a sandbag. Lucina then approached him.

"Meta Knight! I wish to challenge you to a rematch! I might have done poorly in our last battle, but now I am ready." Lucina said confidently.

"Hmph. You say that, but can you truly back it up? We will see. I accept your challenge. When shall we duel?" Meta Knight asked.

"Shall we spar right now? I am ready." Lucina answered.

"Very well." Meta Knight responded.

* * *

With that, Meta Knight and Lucina made their way toward the Transporter Room, with Shulk and Kirim following behind. As Meta Knight and Lucina stepped into the Transporter Room, Shulk and Kirim entered the Spectator Room to watch. On the way, the two combatants decided to hold their match on the Battlefield stage, just like last time. However, unlike last time, this would be a stock match, with both fighters starting with 2 stocks. As they were teleported to the stage, the announcer began counting down to the fight.

 _3_

 _2_

 _1_

 _GO!_

This time around, Meta Knight made the first move, performing his tornado attack and striking Lucina numerous times. But after breaking out of the attack, she swung her sword as hard as she could and knocked Meta Knight back. After that, the combatants danced around each other for about two second before Lucina landed another attack. After recovering from this attack, Meta Knight activated his drill move. Despite her best attempts to dodge it, Lucina was caught up in it. After the attack ended, Meta Knight swung his sword upward, sending Lucina into the air.

Upon landing, Meta Knight landed another attack and almost hit Lucina off the stage, but she managed to stop herself from falling off. Meta Knight went after her, intending to knock her off the stage for real, but she dodged his attack and the masked warrior fell off the stage instead. However, he quickly recovered thanks to his wings. As he was airborne, Lucina jumped up and attempted to strike him, but Meta Knight performed a drill attack and struck her multiple times.

Once both fighters returned to the stage, they danced around each other for several seconds, both landing small attacks on each other. Meta Knight executed another tornado attack, knocking Lucina off the stage, but she managed to save herself by holding onto the edge. Once she pulled herself up, she swiftly attacked Meta Knight, knocking him back a ways. Another jab of the sword sent the Star Warrior back even more. He was knocked off the stage, but managed to recover. He and Lucina danced around each other, each trying to land a powerful attack on the other. Ultimately, Meta Knight was successful in this. He jabbed his spiked sword upward, launching Lucina skyward. Just as she fell to the ground, Meta Knight swung his sword as hard as he could, launching Lucina and almost knocking her out. However, she managed to make her way back to the stage. Both tried to attack each other for several seconds, to no avail. However, this changed when Lucina sent a powerful sword swing downward, throwing Meta Knight back a distance.

Once Meta Knight returned to the stage, he was on the very edge. Both combatants tried to hit the other with enough force to knock them off the stage so they could not recover. When this tactic bore no fruit, Meta Knight sidestepped around Lucina and brought himself closer to the center of the stage. However, this turned out to be a mistake. Lucina immediately swung her sword at Meta Knight's back. The force of this blow was enough to knock Meta Knight into the stage's invisible barrier, resulting in the fight's first KO.

Once he was returned to the stage, Meta Knight immediately attempted to perform his drill attack on Lucina, but she managed to jump over it and strike the masked man from above. Meta Knight responded by swinging his sword three times, launching Lucina on the third one. Lucina was thrown off the stage, but managed to recover and get back on the stage. After that, Lucina and Meta danced around each other for several seconds once again. This little exchange ended when Meta Knight managed to catch Lucina up in one of his tornado attacks. He then followed this up with an exceptionally powerful sword swing, which resulted in Lucina's first KO.

Once she made her way back to the stage, she and Meta Knight went about trying to attack each other. Lucina managed to land one attack by jumping upward and striking Meta Knight from above. Meta Knight then tried the same tactic and achieved the same results. After that, the pair continued to attack each other to no avail. That is, until Meta Knight executed his tornado attack on the princess of Ylisse, hitting her multiple times. Once she broke out of this combo attack, she sidestepped behind Meta Knight and swung her sword at him, knocking him back. Once he got up, he flew into the air in an attempt to avoid Lucina for a little bit. Lucina jumped up several times in an attempt to strike Meta Knight, but to no avail. While still airborne, Meta Knight activated his tornado spin move, hoping to catch Lucina in it. While Meta Knight was spinning, Lucina once again jumped up and performed an upward slash with her sword. Both attacks collided with each other, knocking both combatants away just a little bit.

Once they were both back on solid ground, both ran and attacked each other, but neither landed a worthwhile blow until Meta Knight managed to catch Lucina in a flurry of sword swings. Lucina eventually managed to get out of this combo attack and knock Meta Knight back with a powerful jab from her sword. After that, the pair once again danced around each other for some time. Lucina ultimately made the next move, hitting Meta Knight with a powerful sword swing that almost KO'd him. But, he still survived the attack and got back to the stage, only for Lucina to repeat her attack to the same effect.

Upon returning to the stage the second time, Meta Knight ducked under many of Lucina's attacks by grabbing the edge of the stage or by floating just under the edge with his wings. Eventually, he did get back onto the stage and attempted to attack Lucina, but to no avail. Lucina attempted to attack him numerous times, but to no avail, as Meta Knight kept sidestepping around her. However, she finally got lucky and landed a powerful sword swing at Meta Knight. This attack was strong enough to launch Meta Knight into the stage's invisible barrier, KO'ing him, and ending the match.

" _GAME!"_ The announcer called.

" _Lucina wins!_ "

* * *

Lucina exited the Transporter Room with a smile on her face. She was happy to finally be back in fighting form and competing in the tournament at full strength once again. As she left the Transporter Room, she was instantly greeted by her husband and child.

"Well done, Lucy! I knew you could do it!" Shulk said proudly as he embraced his wife.

"Thank you, Shulk. It feels good to once again be competing in this tournament. And I look forward to doing it while spending time as a caring wife and mother." Lucina responded.

Right then, Kirim began squirming in Shulk's grasp and reaching his tiny arms out toward his mother. Lucina smiled and took her son from Shulk. Kirim instantly calmed down and cooed at his mom. Lucina's smile widened and she held her child tightly. Just then, Meta Knight also exited the Transporter Room.

"Well done, Lucina. You have improved much since we last fought. I look forward to the day we may fight once again. That will be a good day, indeed." Meta Knight said before leaving to go about his own business.

"So what should we do now?" Shulk asked.

"Now, I believe it would be a good time to put Kirim down for a nap. He is looking quite tired." Lucina answered.

On cue, Kirim gave off a cute little yawn and his eyes began to close. Within moments, he was sound asleep in his mother's embrace. The loving parents then began walking toward their bedroom to put their baby in his crib for a nice nap.

* * *

 **It's always the chapters I'm least excited about that are either the shortest or I procrastinate most on. In this case, both.**

 **I'm sorry this took so long, truly I am. I'm also sorry this was a weak chapter. Truth be told, even I'm somewhat disappointed in it. I had the basic concept down a long time ago. I had always planned for there to be a chapter showing the difficulty of being a parent, especially when fighting a tournament like Smash at the same time. But when it came to stretching that out over a chapter, I did kind of lackluster, at best. Still, please do not leave unnecessary negativity or hatred in my story. I don't want that. Nobody wants that.**

 **Rest assured that I have much more confidence in the next chapter. That means it will be longer than this one and will be out quicker than this one. And after that…oh boy, I can't wait to get there.**

 **But we'll get there when we get there. Until then…**

 **Next time: Our happy couple will be celebrating certain holidays with their child.**

 **That will be out soon. Until then, stay tuned, we're almost done.**


	24. Happy Holidays

**Hey there. How's it going, internet peoples? Are you ready for another chapter? I'm assuming you are, because if not, what are you even doing here?**

 **This is a chapter I'm quite happy to have out for all of you. I wasn't overall pleased with my last chapter, so hopefully, I'm making up for it with this chapter. I hope you like it. I think you will.**

 **Half-beastdragonsoul2013: He does. It's on the palm of his right hand.**

 **Althea Sirius: It's true that they are unpredictable, but I think Shulk and Lucina have found a way to manage it. I'm glad you liked the chapter.**

 **14shiffna: I'm glad you guys liked my start, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story. Also, good job catching the reference. I think it's a good show too.**

 **I'm glad you thought the proposal was ok. And you should be nicer to Ender. Still, it's nice to meet a fellow Disney fan.**

 **HartemisFTW: I'll see your orky review, and I raise you a reply written in old, outdated, and overused memes to test** ** _your_** **nerdiness.**

 **Ya don't say? I thought the chapter was mediocre. I don't always write mediocre chapters, but when I do, I do it slowly. But I like this one much better. I'm glad I got it out quicker, but not too quick. One does not simply write good chapters quickly. I've seen others attempt it, but that's none of my business. *** ** _sips tea_** *** If you think you can do that, please tell me more about how your rushed chapters are good. But if they legitimately are, then shut up and take my money! Or in this case, views. In any case, I hope you enjoy this chapter and the ones I write in the future. Why do I keep writing them? Because I'm really feeling it!**

 **Please enjoy.**

 ** _Super Smash Bros._** **© Nintendo/Masahiro Sakurai**

* * *

* _Shulk and Lucina's bedroom_ *

* _8:00 AM_ *

* * *

Lucina awoke from her slumber at the start of a new day. She was glad to have gotten at least a semi-peaceful night's rest. While Kirim still was not at where he was sleeping through the entire night, at least he wasn't waking up every other hour.

As she got out of bed, the first thing she noticed was that her husband was not in bed with her. She found this strange, as she was usually the first one up in the morning. As she looked around the room, she finally saw Shulk standing near the door holding their one-month old son, Kirim.

"Shulk?" She said.

"Oh. Good morning, love." Shulk greeted.

"Good morning to you. I admit, I am surprised that you are already awake."

"Well, I wanted to get an early jump on today's fun."

"Fun? Does today hold some significance?"

"Oh, that's right. You might not have it in your world. Well, where I'm from, today is a holiday called Father's Day. It's all about celebrating our dads and all they've done for us. I admit, I always hated it when I was young, mostly because I never really knew my dad. But now that I am one myself, maybe I can find new meaning." Shulk explained.

"A day celebrating our fathers? That is a great idea!" Lucina exclaimed.

"Glad you think so. So, I think I'll spend the day with Kirim here, and maybe you should find Chrom and hang out with him."

"What will you do first?"

"First I'm gonna do is get some food for myself and the little guy. Cheerio, love." Shulk said as he left the room.

* * *

After leaving the room, Shulk and Kirim made their way to the Mess Hall and got breakfast. As they ate, Shulk spoke to his son.

"So, you excited to spend the day with your old man?" Shulk asked.

"Ah..braba…gar!" Kirim cooed.

"I'll take that as a yes." Shulk laughed.

After they were finished eating, Shulk took Kirim to the nearby city of Smashville before taking a seat on one of the park benches. He gently set Kirim on the ground and watched him crawl around on the grass. At one point, Kirim, who had never been outside the Smash Mansion up until this point, grabbed some of the grass and looked at it, as if he was observing it. He had never seen it before, so he wondered what it was. He tried putting it in his mouth, but Shulk quickly stopped him.

"Whoa there! Let's not do that. Grass is not food." Shulk said.

As he was pulling Kirim up, he spotted a playground on the other side of the park. Some Mii children were currently playing on some of the playground's many pieces of equipment. It looked like fun, so Shulk decided to bring Kirim over there. The first thing he decided to try was the swing set.

"What's say we give you a go at the swings, eh?" Shulk said.

After placing Kirim in one of the baby swings and making sure he was secure, he began pushing his son. Kirim was at first unhappy with being in the swing and being pushed, but after a few seconds, he found he liked going fast and swinging around like this.

"Wheeeehhehe!" Kirim squealed.

"Oh, you like that, huh? Let's go a little higher then." Shulk said.

Shulk spent nearly two hours on the playground with his son. They tried nearly everything once, and Kirim had the time of his life. However at one point, Shulk took a look at the time and realized he had a fight coming up soon. After making his way back to the Smash Mansion with Kirim, he made his way toward the Transporter Room. His fight was going to be a team match against Pichu and Cloud Strife with Dark Pit as an ally. The fight would be a three-stock match and would take place on a stage called Windy Hill Zone.

Just as he was about to enter the Transporter Room, Shulk realized he couldn't bring Kirim with him. It was a very bad idea to bring an infant into a battle area. But where could Shulk leave him? As luck would have it, Peach came walking by and entered the Spectator Room.

"Hello, Shulk." Peach greeted.

"Peach, wait." Shulk called.

"Is there something I can do for you?" Peach asked.

"Yeah. Do you mind keeping an eye on Kirim while I'm fighting? Please?" Shulk asked.

"Oh, not at all."

"Thanks, Peach." Shulk said as he passed his son to the princess.

"Hello there, cutie. Are you ready to see your daddy fight? I'm sure you are." Peach said in baby speak.

She then entered the Spectator Room while Shulk entered the Transporter Room. He then stood on his transporter and was taken to the stage. Once he and the others arrived, the announcer counted down to the fight.

* * *

 _3_

 _2_

 _1_

 _GO!_

All four combatants ran toward each other to start the battle. The first blow was landed by Cloud, who jumped up and hit Shulk with his massive Buster Sword while the Monado wielder was also jumping up. Pichu tried to attack Dark Pit with an electric attack, but missed. The dark angel then twirled his dual edged sword at the Pokémon, hitting him multiple times. Dark Pit then grabbed Pichu and threw him to the ground before charging forward and striking him again.

Cloud jumped up and hit Shulk with his sword once again. Both blonde swordsman jumped up and tried to hit the other. Ultimately, Cloud's attack connected, as he hit Shulk with his Cross Slash attack. Shulk managed to land on his feet and followed up with a forward swing of the Monado. Pichu tried to hit Dark Pit with a head bash attack, but missed. After that, the yellow rat ran away with Dark Pit in pursuit.

All four ended up right in front of each other, at which point Cloud hit both of his opponents with a dual strike than knocked both of them behind the spikey haired swordsman. Dark Pit tried to strike back, but Cloud kept him at bay with a blade beam. Shulk attempted to land an attack, but was knocked back by Pichu. Dark Pit was then knocked back a considerable distance by Cloud. The combatants then danced around each other for a few seconds until Shulk managed to land a sword swing on Pichu. Less than a second later, Shulk fell victim to a sword swing from Cloud. Both he and Pichu were knocked back.

As Shulk fell to the ground, he was hit yet again by Cloud's sword. At the exact same time, Dark Pit was hit by an electric attack from Pichu. Shulk landed on the windmill and Dark Pit landed on the opposite end of the stage. Pichu then jumped up and hit the black winged angel with another attack. Cloud hit Shulk once again and almost KO'd him. But the Monado wielder activated his Jump Art and managed to make it back to the stage. While this was going on, Dark Pit finally managed to land an attack of his own on Pichu.

While Shulk was making his way back to the stage, Cloud attempted to charge his Limit Break attack. However, he didn't manage to charge it fully before Shulk caught up. Cloud attempted to jump over him, but Shulk intercepted by jabbing his Monado upward, hitting Cloud with both the initial hit and the Monado's energy beam. However, this attack was the final boost needed to charge Cloud's Limit Break. Simultaneously, Dark Pit was knocked upward by an attack from Pichu. He was almost KO'd, but managed to angle his fall away from the Pokémon. As he fell, he hit Pichu with a purple colored arrow from his magic bow.

Cloud hit Shulk with his sword which was raised above his head. As Shulk was falling, his Jump Art wore off, putting the Monado in its default mode. Cloud then hit Shulk with his Limit charged blade beam. But even this was not powerful enough to KO Shulk. Pichu had found himself on one of the platforms on the left end of the stage. With Dark Pit just below him, the fallen angel twirled his weapon at the electric rodent, sending him flying upwards quite a distance. Once Pichu landed, Dark Pit hit him with another weapon spin. Shulk activated his Speed Art as he made his way back to the stage. Cloud jumped off the stage and tried to knock Shulk away, but failed. Cloud then executed and Omnislash to get back on the stage.

Cloud threw another blade beam at Shulk, who attempted to jump over it, but failed. Dark Pit was then hit by and electric bash from Pichu. Cloud sent another blade beam at Shulk, but he managed to avoid this one. He then swung the Monado in an arc, hitting Cloud. As the Speed Art wore off, Shulk jumped up and over Dark Pit. The dark angel sent an arrow at his opponents, but missed. Both Cloud and Pichu ran after him, but Dark Pit swung his weapon right as they got close. Pichu was hit and knocked back, but Cloud sidestepped and went for Shulk. However, the spikey haired blonde was instantly hit by a swing of the Monado.

Shulk activated his Buster art as Cloud unsuccessfully tried to his opponent. Another weapon spin from Dark Pit sent Pichu about halfway across the stage. The angel then followed it up with an upward facing weapon twirl, sending the Pokémon airborne and ultimately landing on the windmill. Cloud finally managed to hit Shulk, sending him to the left end of the stage. Pichu jumped off the windmill and ran toward Dark Pit, only to be grabbed and slammed forward, almost knocking him off the stage. Shulk executed a Back Slash against Cloud, doing a fair amount of damage, but was then tossed backward by a double attack from Cloud's Buster Sword. Pichu had found his way to the edge of the stage, but before he could get back on, Shulk jumped up and swung the Monado at an angle beneath him, knocking Pichu downward while the latter was in midair. This attack knocked Pichu into the stage's invisible barrier, resulting in the first KO of the match.

* * *

In the Spectator Room, Kirim, who was sitting in Peach's lap, giggled happily as he watched his father claim the first KO.

"Oh? You like that? You like seeing your daddy fight? Well, he is a strong fighter. And I think you'll grow up to be just like him." Peach cooed.

* * *

Cloud attempted to hit both his opponents but missed. Shulk then swung the Monado in an arc above him and hit Cloud. Cloud was knocked upward, but Pichu, who had returned to the stage, came down and hit both Shulk and Dark Pit with a head attack. Both Cloud and Shulk landed on the ground in front of each other. Cloud sidestepped away from Shulk, only to walk right into one of Dark Pit's upward facing attacks, sending him skyward. Shulk jumped up and swung the Monado in a circle around him, hitting Pichu. Shulk then jumped up and attempted to hit Cloud, but Cloud, who's Limit Gauge was filled up again, hit Shulk with a powered up Cross Slash. This attack sent Shulk flying beyond the stage. He hit the stage's barrier and was KO'd.

As Shulk was being brought back to the stage, the other fighters danced around each other, trying to land a decent hit, but none succeeded. Once he was back, Shulk attempted to perform a Back Slash on Pichu, albeit unsuccessfully. Dark Pit then jumped up and hit the little Pokémon with his two short swords. Cloud attempted to throw two Blade Beams at Dark Pit, but failed both times. Shulk then activated his Speed Art and went after Cloud, only to be hit by a third Blade Beam. Cloud then turned his attention to Dark Pit. The swordsman attempted to perform a Cross Slash on the angel, but was hit by a backward swing of the Monado before the attack could be completed. Cloud was knocked backwards by the attack.

Both Shulk and Dark Pit ran after Cloud, with Pichu trailing behind. The angel and the future seer simultaneously hit Cloud with powerful attacks. Pichu then came in and landed a minor electric attack on Dark Pit, who responded by striking the Pokémon with three powerful sword swings. Cloud then attempted to land an attack on Dark Pit, but Shulk, who was right behind him, jabbed the Monado at Cloud's back. Once the energy beam came out, Cloud was launched forward and was KO'd. Pichu attempted to attack Dark Pit, but was held back by one of the angel's dark arrows. While Pichu was stunned by this attack, Shulk swooped in with a Back Slash. This attack KO'd Pichu for the second time total.

Once both of them made it back to the stage, both Cloud and Pichu went for the nearest opponent, Dark Pit. Both landed attacks on him. One was electric, the other was a Cross Slash. While Dark Pit was thrown back by the attack, Shulk jumped between his opponents and swung the Monado at Pichu. He then ran after Pichu and attempted to grab him, but missed due to Pichu jumping up. As the yellow rodent was jumping, he hit Dark Pit by smacking the dark angel with his head. Cloud then attempted to hit Dark Pit with a Blade Beam, but missed. Shulk activated his Buster Art once again and managed to corner Pichu. The little rat attempted to jump over Shulk, but was hit with an upward jab of the Monado. Once Pichu landed, both he and Cloud had their opponents surrounded. They peppered Shulk and Dark Pit with attacks, ultimately culminating in a double kick and sword swing attack from Cloud, knocking them both off the stage. Though they both managed to recover thanks to their wings and Air Slash, they were immediately hit by another attack from Cloud before they could set foot back on the stage. It was at this time that Shulk's Buster Art wore off.

Cloud attempted to charge up his Limit Breaks once again, but got interrupted by a swing from the Monado. While this was going on, Pichu executed a skull bash attack on Dark Pit, KO'ing the angel for the first time. The remaining fighters danced around each other for a few moments until Dark Pit retuned and hit Pichu with a spin of his weapon. Pichu responded by knocking Dark Pit upward while Cloud did the same to Shulk using his sword. Dark Pit tried to attack Cloud, but Pichu ran after him, grabbed him, and threw him upward. While Dark Pit was still in the air, Pichu jumped up and hit him with another attack. Pichu then hit Dark Pit again as soon as he landed. The four combatants then moved around each other for a few seconds, each landing minor attacks on their opponents. Cloud then charged up his Limit Breaks once again. He then knocked Dark Pit back with a powerful Beam blade. Cloud followed this up by knocking Shulk upward with a powerful sword strike. Once Shulk landed, he spotted Pichu making a run for Dark Pit. He intercepted this attack by jabbing the Monado upward and the Pokémon. The attack launched Pichu right into the invisible barrier, KO'ing him and removing him from the match. All that was left was to beat Cloud.

Shulk and Dark Pit ran for him, but Cloud managed to keep them at a distance for a time. But this only lasted so long as they eventually overwhelmed him. Fortunately for him, their repeated attacks gave his Limit Gauge the final boost it needed. Unfortunately for him, he never got to use it. Dark Pit managed to knock him quite a ways off the stage with another spin attack from his double edged blade. Cloud was about to jump back on, but the spring that rested on the edge of the stage began spinning, and Cloud hit it. When Cloud hit the spring, it was at such an angle that it knocked him downward, resulting in his second KO. Even more unfortunate, the moment before Cloud was KO'd, Pichu used the restock option, taking Cloud's second to last stock to return to the stage. Therefore, Cloud technically lost his last stock, leaving only Pichu against Shulk and Dark Pit.

Pichu landed a series of electric attacks on Dark Pit, damaging both the angel and himself. Shulk then came up and swung the Monado at Pichu, doing a fair amount of damage. He then swung the Monado at the Pokémon again, knocking him onto the windmill. Dark Pit then landed a series of attacks on Pichu, knocking him off the windmill. Before he could even hit the ground, Pichu was hit with another powerful attack, this one from Shulk. Pichu attempted to attack them both with electricity, but this only worked for a split second. Once the split second was over, Dark Pit rushed forward and struck Pichu. The angel then sent an arrow right at Pichu, hitting him in the face. After that, Pichu tried to avoid his opponents for as long as he could. But this did not last more than a few seconds, as Dark Pit managed to catch up to him and land a powerful attack with his weapon. Shulk then activated his Smash Art, hoping to use it to end the battle.

Pichu managed to throw his attacked back by using an electric backed downward attack to throw them back. He then grabbed Dark Pit and threw him upward. Pichu jumped after the angel and landed a powerful electric attack, KO'ing Dark Pit. Once he returned to the stage, Dark Pit nearly knocked Pichu off the stage with a powerful side attack. While Pichu was airborne, Shulk jumped after him and landed the final attack. He swung the Monado at Pichu, knocking him the rest of the way off stage, KO'ing the Pokémon and finally ending the match.

" _GAME!_ " Cried the announcer.

" _Shulk and Dark Pit win!_ "

* * *

As soon as Shulk left the Transporter Room, he was greeted by Peach and Kirim.

"Well done, Shulk. That was quite a match." Peach complimented.

"Thanks, Peach." Shulk replied with a smile.

Kirim then began squirming in Peach's grasp while reaching his hands out toward Shulk. It was clear what he wanted, so Peached passed the baby into his father's arms.

"Well, I have to go now. Be good for your daddy, Okay?" Peach said in baby speak.

Princess Peach then left to go about her own business. Shulk and Kirim also left the area so they could enjoy the rest of their Father's Day together.

* * *

At the end of the day, Shulk returned to his bedroom holding a very sleepy Kirim. He swiftly put his son in his crib to rest before getting ready for bed himself. He then slipped into bed where his wife was waiting for him.

"Did you have a pleasant Father's Day?" Lucina asked.

"I did. Best one I've ever had, matter of fact." Shulk said proudly.

"That is wonderful to hear. However, there is one thing I have been meaning to ask you."

"What's that, Lucy?"

"Is there a day on your world for celebrating mothers?"

"Oh. Of course there is. Can't celebrate dad without also celebrating mum."

"Really? When is it?"

"Unfortunately, it's not for some time. It was last month. 'bout two weeks before he was born, actually."

"What?! Why did you not tell me then?" Lucina demanded.

"Hey, c'mon, don't be like that. I seem to recall you once telling me you wouldn't consider yourself a mum until after the kid was born." Shulk answered.

Lucina opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. She realized Shulk was right. She had said that at one point during her pregnancy. With no response available, she sighed in defeat.

"Gods, me and my big mouth." She said.

"Hey, don't worry love. It'll be here before you know it. And when it does come, he's all yours, all day."

"I look forward to it."

After a quick kiss goodnight, the couple turned out their lights and went to sleep.

* * *

Lucina was currently in her bedroom, holding her eleven-month-old son. Kirim was currently playing with a rattle in his mother's arms without a care in the world. Lucina was quite excited, as today was a special day. It was Family Day. That meant that both her and Shulk's friends and family would get to meet Kirim for the first time. Shulk was currently out getting everyone together. Lucina could barely wait to introduce her son to her family and Shulk's friends. Her wish came true right after, as Shulk entered the room with a large crowd entering behind him. This crowd consisted of Lucina's mother, Sumia, her sister, Cynthia, and her aunt, Lissa. Also in attendance were Shulk's three very good friends, Reyn, Dunban, and Riki. Lucina smiled warmly at the visitors while Kirim looked quizzically at these people he had never seen before.

"Hello, everyone. It is good to see all of you again. I have been looking forward to this for some time. If I may ask, where is father? I would think you would want to see him, mother." Lucina greeted.

"It's good to see you too, Lucina. Also, don't worry about Chrom. He and Frederick are watching over little Lucy and Cindy. I'll be able to spend time with him later on. Besides, I've also been looking forward to this for a long time." Sumia said.

"Yep! We all wanted to meet your son so badly. Oh! Is that him? He's so cute!" Lissa squealed.

"He certainly looks a lot like his father." Dunban stated.

"Yes, but he most definitely has his mother's eyes." Sumia pointed out.

"What did you say his name was again?" Cynthia asked.

"We named him Kirim, after my father." Shulk answered.

"Kirim. I like it!" Cynthia yelled.

"Should have named him Tora, or Tatazo. Those very popular Nopon names." Riki said.

"Well in case you ain't noticed, kid's not a Nopon. He's a normal baby. I think it's a great name, Shulk." Reyn said.

"Thanks, Reyn. You wanna hold him for a bit?" Shulk offered.

"Can I? Thanks, man."

Reyn sat down on the bed as Shulk gently took Kirim from Lucina's arms and placed him in Reyn's. Kirim, still holding his toy rattle, looked up at this new person who was holding him, not sure who he was or how to react. Reyn just smiled down on him.

"Hey, kid. You're a cute little bugger, ain't ya? I just want you to know that your ol' Uncle Reyn's always gonna be there for ya, just like I was for your old man. How's that sound?" Reyn said.

Kirim continued to stare at Reyn for a few seconds before turning to the rattle in his hand. The baby immediately hit Reyn in the face with the rattle as hard as he could.

"OW!" Reyn yelled.

This caused everyone in attendance to laugh at Reyn's expense. Even Kirim was giggling up a storm.

"Haha. I think he likes you, Reyn." Shulk laughed.

"Yeah, well, kid's got a funny way of showing it." Reyn grumbled.

Riki then jumped up on the bed and approached Reyn and Kirim.

"Riki want to see littlepon now! Let Riki see!" Riki shouted.

"Wait your turn, furball. I only just got him." Reyn replied.

As this conversation was going on, Kirim turned his attention toward Riki. The baby immediately dropped his rattle and started reaching his tiny little arms out toward the Nopon. This caused Riki to give off a smug smile.

"See? Littlepon want to see Riki. So let him see Riki!" The Nopon demanded.

As he was talking, Riki got closer to the baby. As soon as he was within arm's reach, Kirim grabbed him and squeezed him tight while giving off several happy coos. He then started playing with Riki's large upper arms.

"What is littlepon doing?" Riki asked.

"Kid probably thinks you're some kind of stuffed toy. Can't say I blame him." Reyn said with a smirk.

"R-Riki is not toy! Riki is mighty heropon!" Riki said as he struggled to get out of Kirim's grip.

Riki did eventually escape Kirim's grasp and landed on the floor right in front of Sumia. Kirim reached out and tried to grab Riki once again. Due to being unable to reach his 'toy', Kirim started to cry. Sumia then walked forward and gently took Kirim from Reyn and began rocking the baby.

"Aw. It's alright, little one. Let your grandmother make you feel all better." Sumia said.

Sumia then began humming a peaceful melody while continuing to rock him. Shortly afterwards, Kirim stopped crying and returned to a content state. He smiled up at his grandmother, who smiled back. It was at this moment that Cynthia started jumping up and down with excitement.

"My turn! My turn!" Cynthia yelled.

"Alright, Cynthia. But calm down, first. And be very careful." Sumia instructed.

Cynthia did as instructed and gently took her nephew up in her arms. As she looked down on Kirim, she gave one of the widest smiles she had ever given, and that's saying a lot.

"Hey there! Say hello to your super heroic Aunt Cynthia! You may not know it yet, but you and I will be the best of friends! I wonder how long it will take for me to convince your mom to let you ride a Pegasus with me." Cynthia said.

"Not until he's at least five years old. Even then, you better not take him very far off the ground." Lucina answered.

"Aw, you're no fun. Anyway, I know you and I will get along just fine." Cynthia said to Kirim.

As she spoke, Kirim reached his arms up toward his aunt. Cynthia took this as a sign that he wanted a hug, so she obliged. But as soon as she pulled him close, the baby grabbed one of her pigtails and started playing with it. This ultimately resulted in him pulling on the braid of hair.

"OW! Alright, that's enough! Let go of my hair now. Ouch! Let go, please!" Cynthia pleaded.

Shulk eventually came over and took Kirim from Cynthia, forcing the baby to release his aunt's hair.

"Sorry about that. He really is just a playful little tyke. He just doesn't know how to play nice just yet." Shulk apologized.

"It's alright. He'll get better at it, I'm sure." Cynthia said as she fixed her hair.

"In any case, we brought something for him." Dunban said.

With that, Dunban brought out a toy he was hiding behind his back. It was a small mechanical wind up toy shaped like a Mechon. The Bionis residents thought it was kind of odd to make a toy out of the mechanical creatures that had tried to kill them all years ago, but it was a popular seller in their homeland nowadays, so why not? Dunban placed it on the ground, spun the wind up key, and let it go. As it walked across the floor, Kirim stared at it in awe. Shulk gently placed him on the floor in front of the toy and let Kirim inspect it himself. He picked it up and watched as its legs kept moving. Once it stopped, Kirim was confused. Why wasn't it moving anymore? He tried shaking it to get it to move again. Shulk eventually stepped in and wound it up again and let it go, once again delighting Kirim.

"It's great. Thanks a lot, guys." Shulk said with a smile.

"Forget about it. It's the least we could do. We just wanted to see him get one of our toys for once." Reyn replied.

"Speaking of toys, we brought one too!" Lissa exclaimed.

Lissa then pulled out a toy of her own. It was a stuffed Pegasus. Lissa gently put it on the ground in front of Kirim, all while making horse noises to catch his attention. Kirim instantly grabbed the stuffed animal and began playing with it as well. Eventually, he grabbed the Mechon toy as well and began playing with both at once, though a bit roughly.

"It is a marvelous gift, Aunt Lissa. Thank you." Lucina said.

"You're welcome! I'm glad he likes it." Lissa answered.

The group watched Kirim play with his new toys for some time. After a while, they decided to walk around the Smash Mansion some while catching up. As they walked, they would often came across the other Smashers and their Family Day visitors. Eventually, they decided to seek out Chrom and Frederick. Lissa was currently holding Kirim, and would not stop fawning over how cute he was. Though, she made careful care to keep him away from her hair so as to avoid an incident similar to the one that occurred when Cynthia was holding Kirim.

"Who's the cutest little great nephew in the whole wide world? Or, I guess all the worlds. You are! Yes you are!" Lissa cooed.

"Mwhabaga!" Kirim replied.

"Ugh, I shouldn't call you my great nephew. I mean, I know you are, but thinking of myself as a great aunt, it makes me feel old. Oh well, you're still the cutest!" Lissa babbled.

"Where could father possibly be? I have not seen him all day. There are only so many places he could be." Lucina asked, completely ignoring Lissa's ramblings.

"Pardon me, Lucina, but are you looking for Chrom?"

The entire group turned around and looked at who it was that spoke that sentence. It was Frederick, Chrom's persona knight and retainer.

"There you are, Frederick. Yes, we are looking for Chrom. Do you know where he is?" Sumia asked.

"Milord is currently attending to his two young daughters right now, but he shall be back momentarily." Frederick answered.

"I see. Well, I guess we can wait here for him." Sumia responded.

"On a different note, is that Lucina's child you are now holding, milady Lissa?" Frederick asked.

"Yep! This is him! Say hello to Kirim!" Lissa introduced.

"Interesting name. Where did you come up with it?" Frederick inquired.

"It was my dad's name." Shulk answered.

"I see. Your father must have been an admirable man if you named your son after him."

"I like to think so, but I wouldn't know for sure. He died before I could really remember him."

"I see. My apologies if I brought up any unpleasant memories."

"No worries. Do you want to hold him for a bit?" Shulk offered as he took Kirim from Lissa.

"I will decline. Still, I will say he is quite a handsome child. You must be quite proud, Lucina." Frederick replied.

"I am, Frederick. I could not be happier the day he was born." Lucina answered.

"Indeed. In any case, I will now bring all of you to Chrom so that you may spend some time with him." Frederick stated.

Once they found Chrom and the younger versions of Lucina and Cynthia, they all sat together and spent the rest of Family Day hanging out, catching up, and getting to know Kirim a little more. Once it was time for the visitors to return home, everyone walked outside and said their final goodbyes for the year.

"Take care, man. See ya next year. Also, you need to give that kid of yours a haircut." Reyn said.

"Oh, shut up, Reyn." Shulk said with a laugh.

"Farewell, Shulk. I look forward to seeing you next year. I know both you and your son will both have grown much by then." Dunban said.

"So long, Dunban." Shulk replied.

"Bye bye, Shulk! Riki will miss you! Be sure to tell littlepon that Riki is not toy next time Riki come visit!" Riki stated.

"I'll do my best. So long." Shulk responded.

With that, the Bionis residents walked back through the portal to their home world, which closed behind them. Once it was closed, Shulk walked back toward the mansion to get ready for bed.

"Farewell, Lucina. I look forward to when we next meet. And congratulations on having a healthy son, once again. It was an honor to meet him." Frederick said.

"Thank you, Frederick. I shall miss you." Lucina said while holding Kirim.

"Bye, Lucina. Bye Kirim! I can't wait to see both of you again. I hope a year goes by quicker this time." Lissa stated.

"Worry not. We shall see each other soon enough. I look forward to it. So long, Aunt Lissa." Lucina replied.

"Bye, Lucy! I'll miss you! I'll miss you too, Kirim. Just you wait, next year, you'll get to spend even more time with your aunt!" Cynthia said while hugging her sister and nephew.

"I'm sure he will enjoy that, Cynthia. Farewell." Lucina said while returning her sister's hug.

"I'll miss you so much. Be good, Lucina. I hope to hear from you and Chrom soon." Sumia stated.

"You will, mother. I cannot wait to see you again. Say farewell to your grandmother, Kirim." Lucina said.

"Ba…ga…gwado!" Kirim cooed.

"I'll miss you too. Bye now." Sumia said as she gave her grandson a kiss on the forehead.

Sumia then walked into the portal back to Ylisse. Once the portal closed, Lucina sighed. She was sad that her yearly visit from her family was over once again. But, she could still look forward to next year. And until then, she still had a loving husband, a sweet son, her father, and many friends to keep her company. With these positive thoughts in mind, Lucina returned to the Smash Mansion and joined her husband in getting ready for bed.

* * *

"What could be keeping Lucina?" Robin asked.

"I don't know. She promised she would be here on time, but now she's five minutes late." Chrom answered.

"Do you think one of us should go see what's keeping her?"

"Perhaps. I'll take a look. I should be back in a few…"

"Wait! I'm here."

Chrom and Robin both turned and saw Lucina enter the room holding a well-dressed Kirim.

"I apologize for being late, but it took me some time to get Kirim into this suit. Now that I am here, shall we begin?" Lucina said.

"We shall." Chrom said.

The four individuals were gathered in Chrom's room for a special occasion. Back in their home world of Ylisse, it was an important holiday. It was known as The Founding Day. It was a celebration of the first defeat of the fell dragon Grima and the subsequent founding of the country of Ylisse by Chrom and Lucina's ancestor, the first Exalt of Ylisse. As the current Exalt, Chrom was usually expected to lead the celebration, but seeing as he was currently in the Smash Mansion rather than Ylisse, he would have to make do with celebrating with only his best friend, his future daughter, and his grandson (Even to this day, Chrom still shuddered when he so much as thought the word grandson).

"I shall now recite the opening prayer." Chrom stated.

With that, Chrom, Robin, and Lucina put their hands together and looked upward.

"We praise the gods above for giving us the strength to rise above evil and live another safe and prosperous year in Ylisse. Or in this case, be surrounded by the only people here from Ylisse." Chrom improvised.

Both Robin and Lucina looked at Chrom quizzically as he deviated from the usual prayer. Chrom quickly cleared his throat and got back on track.

"We praise the gods for the heroic event that took place many years ago. Long ago, our land was pillaged by a horrific demon, the fell dragon, Grima. Yet a lone hero stepped up and defeated the dragon, ushering in a new era of peace, and bringing about our wonderous country, Ylisse. It is in honor of the battle he fought many years ago today, and the country he trusted this family with, that we celebrate. Praise to the gods and the first Exalt." Chrom stated.

"Praise to the gods and the first Exalt." Robin and Lucina repeated.

After this, they moved on to the next part of the celebration, a great feast. Or in this case, them going to the Mess Hall and getting as much food as they wanted. As they ate, they all made idle conversation.

"Say Lucina, I meant to ask earlier, where's Shulk? I would think you would want your whole family with you." Robin asked.

"Shulk insisted on covering all my fights today so that I may celebrate with the two of you, as well as my son. I am proud to share with him my Ylissean lineage." Lucina answered.

"I see. Similarly, I managed to convince Pit to cover my fights for the day. He owed me a big favor after he put sneezing powder in my food as a prank the other day. Honestly, how does he not know the difference between my food and Dark Pit's food? We didn't even sit near each other that day! What about you, Robin? Who did you get to cover for you?" Chrom asked.

"No one. I simply told Master Hand that today was an important holiday in my world, and he gave me the day off." Robin answered.

Chrom and Lucina turned to each other as they wondered why they didn't think of that.

"In any case, I can at least be glad that I have all of you here today. And I'm sure Shulk will do well in his battles, knowing he's fighting for you, Lucina. Truth be told, I've always been more than intrigued by that sword of his, the Monado." Robin stated.

"Mo-nah-doe!" Kirim squealed.

Chrom and Robin both looked at Kirim as he spoke. Even at almost two years old, he was starting to turn into quite the chatterbox.

"He seems to have quite the fascination with his father's weapon as well. He attempts to say 'Monado' several times a day. Shulk likes to claim it is his favorite word." Lucina explained.

"Mo-nah-doe!" Kirim repeated, as if to emphasize Lucina's point.

Despite the fact that he repeated the word several times, Lucina couldn't help but smile. Not only was she happy he was finally learning to speak, but it appeared he had inherited Shulk's accent, and Lucina loved that.

* * *

After they were done eating, they returned to Chrom's room for the next part of the celebration. Normally, this consisted of a huge festival across Ylisse's capital, Ylisstol. But in the absence of a festival that big, the small group settled for telling old stories of their adventures together.

"I still remember when Lucina fell out of that portal in the sky, wearing that mask and calling herself 'Marth'." Chrom said.

"Yes, I recall that as well. It took all I had to not break down after seeing you again after all those years. How I had missed you, father." Lucina admitted.

"Hush now, Lucina. You're here now, and that's all that matters. Besides, today is supposed to be a day of celebration. So let's continue celebrating." Chrom said.

"I still remember when I first walked into Ylisstol. It was quite a lovely city. I also remember going into the castle and seeing the Exalt's banner for the first time." Robin recalled.

"That reminds me. I meant to put up the Ylissean flag up today in honor of The Founding Day. Oh well, better late than never, I guess." Chrom said.

With that, Chrom stood up and went over to a chest in the corner of the room. He then pulled out a neatly folded flag. He unfolded it, showing off a blue flag with the Exalt's brand in white on it. This was the same brand that was on Chrom's shoulder and Lucina's eye. Once Chrom hung it on the wall, Kirim stared at in in awe.

"Mumma, wha' dat?" Kirim asked while pointing to the flag.

"That is the symbol of Ylisse, Kirim. It is my home. It is very special to me." Lucina answered.

"E-leez?" Kirim tried to repeat.

"Not quite. Ylisse. Come on, you can say it."

"E… E… E-leez. E-Leez! E-leez, mumma. E-leez!" Kirim replied.

"I think he's found a new favorite word." Chrom said with a chuckle.

"E-leez!" Kirim repeated.

"Still not quite right, Kirim. It's pronounced…" Lucina started.

"Don't push him, Lucina. He'll get it right eventually. I think that's the best he can do at his age." Robin said.

"Very well. In any case, that is the symbol of my home. It is where I am from. It is also where your grandfather is from. And even you have some of it in you." Lucina said to her son.

As she spoke, she held Kirim's right hand in front of his face. In the palm of that hand was his Brand of the Exalt, which was the same as the symbol on the flag. Kirim looked back and forth between the symbol on the flag and the symbol on his hand, as his little brain started putting together that they were one and the same.

"Kiwim E-leez?" Kirim asked.

"Yes, my son. By this brand, you will always know that you carry the blood of Ylisse in you." Lucina answered.

"Mumma E-leez?" Kirim asked.

"Yes. Like you, I also have the blood of Ylisse in me. I even have the same brand you do, only mine is in my eye."

Lucina then held her son up to her face and let him clearly see the brand that was in her left eye. Once she set him back down, Kirim asked his mother one more question.

"Dada E-leez?"

"Well, not exactly. Your father hails from a distant land. His home is known as 'Bionis'." Lucina replied.

"Buh…Buh…Buh-won-iz?" Kirim tried to repeat.

"I suppose for now, that is close enough." Lucina conceded.

* * *

After that, it was traditional for all of Ylisse to watch a dramatization of the first Exalt's journey to defeat Grima and found Ylisse. However, the group settled for going into Smashville and, at Lucina's suggestion, checking out the movie theater for a similar dramatization. Once they got there, they saw posters for all the movies currently playing.

"Perhaps we should see this one. It's called ' _The Color of Love_ '. Sounds like a romance." Robin suggested.

"Um, no. You know I don't care much for those kinds of shows. Besides, it's not very similar to what we're trying to celebrate. How about this one? The poster says ' _The Death Dragon's Blood War_ '. It has a horrifying looking dragon on it. Maybe it will do." Chrom said.

"No. That looks overly terrifying. I will not expose my son to such horrid images. I do not need him suffering from nightmares. We will have to find something else." Lucina declared.

"Well, what do you suggest?" Robin asked.

Lucina looked through the movie posters, looking for something that would suit their needs, but also not be too scary for her son. She looked through the posters once, twice, and found nothing. What she did not notice, however, was her son's eyes that were fixated on a particular poster near the front door. This movie poster seemed to have captivated Kirim to the point he was speaking nonsense in his mother's arms, finally catching her attention.

"What is it, Kirim? Do you see something?" Lucina asked.

"Mumma! Big bur'!" Kirim said while gesturing to the poster in question.

Lucina, who assumed Kirim was trying to say 'big bird', followed her son's gestures to the movie poster. It was for a movie called ' _Quest of the Dragon Killer_ '. She wondered how she had missed that poster earlier. On the poster was a hero holding a shield against a three headed dragon shooting lightning out of its mouths. The hero seemed to have quite a look of determination on him. The dragon, while somewhat intimidating, was nowhere near as scary looking as the one on the poster Chrom had pointed out. Lucina thought that maybe this would do.

"What of this one?" Lucina suggested.

With that, Chrom and Robin looked at the poster Lucina and Kirim had their eyes on. As soon as they saw it, they both got the same idea.

"I believe this is the one we are looking for." Robin stated.

"I agree. Let us go and see this show." Chrom agreed.

The group entered the movie theater and purchased four tickets for the movie. While Chrom and Robin stood in line, Lucina made her way toward the concessions stand.

"Does anyone wish for any refreshments? I myself am getting a beverage and some popcorn." Lucina said.

"None for me, thanks." Chrom answered.

"I'll take a drink of water and perhaps a chocolate." Robin requested.

Once they got their refreshments and settled into their seats, the movie began. It was quite an epic. Once the film was over, everyone left the theater in high spirits. Especially Chrom. In all the time he had been at Smash Bros., he had never once been to Smashville's movie theater, so he was especially intrigued by the movie's scale and visual effects. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. Lucina was just glad the movie wasn't _that_ violent, so she didn't have to worry about her son developing nightmares.

"That was quite amusing." Robin stated.

"I'll say. I only wish the shows back in Ylisse were such spectacles." Chrom replied.

"Indeed. However, now I believe it is time for the feast." Lucina commented.

* * *

It was usually at evening time that the final celebration of the day took place. It was a grand feast with all of Ylisse invited. Rich and poor, tall and small, famous and unknown, would come to Ylisstol and were invited and encouraged to talk to complete strangers and make friends with them, for they all had one thing in common. They were all citizens of Ylisse, here because of what the first Exalt did over a thousand years ago. The Exalt would sit at the head of the area and watch his subjects feast and have a good time.

However, the Exalt was not currently in Ylisse. He was in a town called Smashville with only his closest companions at Smash with him. So, once again, they would have to make something up and just hope that everyone in Ylisse was having a good time.

"You're right, Lucina. But what should we do? Perhaps just head back to the Smash Mansion and indulge there? It is almost dinner time." Chrom said.

"Actually, I would rather just spend a bit more time with all of you. Perhaps we could find a place to eat here in Smashville." Lucina suggested.

"Yes, but where?" Robin asked.

"Well, I've been here enough with Shulk to know that there is a buffet style restaurant not far from here." Lucina answered.

After a bit of walking, they finally made it to the restaurant. After getting enough food to fill all their stomachs, they began eating while conversing.

"Perhaps this hasn't been the most conventional Founding Day celebration. Who am I kidding, none of the ones in the past few years has. But, I am still glad to have spent it with you guys." Chrom stated.

"We feel the same way Chrom. Sometimes all you need to celebrate are the ones you care for, not an entire country." Robin added.

"Yes. I would not trade these experiences for anything. I love you all." Lucina said.

"Mumma! Wuv ooou!" Kirim added.

Lucina smiled and held her son in a tight hug at his statement before giving him a light kiss on his head.

"I love you too, my sweet son. May nothing ever tear us apart." Lucina replied.

After finishing their food, they walked back to the Smash Mansion and bade each other a good night. When Lucina entered her bedroom, Shulk was already asleep in bed. After putting Kirim in his own bed, Lucina slowly made her way next to her husband and drifted off to sleep, ready for whatever tomorrow might bring.

* * *

 **And there's another one gone. I'm getting closer to the end. In fact, it's almost upon us.**

 **I'm much more satisfied with how this chapter turned out than the last one. This is one I've been wanting to write for some time. The only thing stopping me is the fact that I don't like writing my chapters out of order. Still, better late than never, amirite? In any case, tell me in the comments below what you thought of this chapter. Just refrain from outright anger if you didn't like it. There are more productive ways to vent your displeasure, including, but not limited to, constructive criticism.**

 **This is usually the part where I give you some sort of hint as to what the next chapter will be about, but this time, I'm going to do things a little differently. This time, I'm going to be a bit vaguer as to what the next chapter will be about (though, I'm more than certain some of you will still figure it out anyway). The reason I do this is because we're almost at the end. The climax is finally upon us, and I only have a handful of chapters left. I'll also warn you now: Don't expect the next chapter to come out anytime soon, as it's going to be a long one. A very long one. I hope you enjoy it when it comes out. Until then, so long everyone.**

 **In the next chapter:**

 **Colors weave into a spire of flame**

 **Distant sparks call to a past still unnamed**

 **Bear this torch against the cold of the night**

 **Search your soul and reawaken the undying light**


End file.
